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On July 20, when both a heat wave warning and a heavy rain warning were in effect in Uiseong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, a farmer growing garlic and onions in Gugye 2-ri, Danchon-myeon, washes garlic covered in mud from the previous day's heavy rain in a stream. The village suffered damage from lost roads, flooding, power outages, and water cutoffs caused by the previous day's rainfall. / Courtesy of Yonhap News

Ministry of the Interior and Safety provides an additional 1.6 billion won in special disaster relief tax funds to urgently restore emergency damage in Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Gyeongsangbuk-do, regions hit by heavy downpours. It will also inject 120 million won in disaster relief project funds to protect vulnerable groups in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do, where heat waves persist.

The Ministry announced on July 20 that it will urgently provide special disaster relief tax funds to three provinces and municipalities, including Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Gyeongsangbuk-do, which suffered damage from torrential rains between July 17 and 19.

This heavy rain caused damage including lost roads, soil runoff, and flooded homes in areas such as Uiseong and Andong in Gyeongsangbuk-do, as well as Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions. Some residents were temporarily evacuated over concerns of flooding and landslides.

In Uiseong and Andong, where massive wildfires broke out last year, ground stability in fire-damaged areas has weakened, and temporary residential facilities have been installed, heightening concerns over additional damage from heavy rain.

The support funds will be used for emergency recovery of damaged facilities, disaster relief, removal of soil and fallen rocks, and urgent safety measures for high-risk facilities. They will also be deployed for safety measures to prevent secondary damage, such as landslides and rockfalls.

Along with rain damage recovery, the Ministry decided to respond to the prolonged heat wave. This comes as concerns over heat wave damage grow in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do, following the issuance of the first extreme heat wave warnings in Gyeongsan and Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

The 120 million won in disaster relief project funds will be used for operational expenses, such as air conditioning costs for cooling shelters, and for purchasing customized relief supplies for heat-vulnerable groups, including elderly living alone.

The Ministry previously provided 2.1 billion won in special disaster relief tax funds to six provinces and municipalities, including Daejeon, Sejong, Gyeonggi, Chungcheongbuk-do, Chungcheongnam-do, and Gyeongsangbuk-do, which suffered heavy rain damage between July 8 and 10.

Yoon Ho-jung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, stated, "We will make maximum use of available administrative and financial resources so that residents affected by consecutive heavy rains can return to their daily lives as soon as possible."

He further urged, "Please thoroughly inspect wildfire-damaged areas and landslide-prone regions, and focus on protecting heat-vulnerable groups to proactively prepare and prevent additional damage."

                                                                                                          Kim Nam-hyung