Yoon designates 13 special disaster zones over deadly downpours
President Yoon Suk Yeol, front left, consoles a villager during a visit to a livestock farm hit by days of heavy rain in Gongju, 119 kilometers south of Seoul, July 18. Yonhap
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday designated 13 areas hit hard by deadly downpours as special disaster zones, including the central cities of Cheongju and Gongju, his office said.
The designations make the areas eligible for the government's financial support in recovery work, relief funds for victims and other benefits.
Also on the list are Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province; Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province; and Iksan, North Jeolla Province, presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said.
"In order to help victims' prompt return to everyday life, special disaster zones were declared first over areas where preliminary surveys have been completed," Lee told a press briefing. "Damage surveys are difficult in some areas due to continued downpours and flooding. For areas that were not included this time, damage surveys will be quickly completed, and in cases they meet the criteria, we plan to make additional designations as special disaster zones."
Yoon instructed acting Interior Minister Han Chang-seob to make all-out efforts with relevant authorities to swiftly provide recovery assistance and prevent additional casualties, while also instructing Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun to assist affected farms.
Recent downpours have killed at least 44 people and forced thousands more to evacuate in the country's central and southern regions since last week, according to authorities. (Yonhap)