폭우로 나흘간 14명 사망•12명 실종에 문 대통령 "특별 재난지역 빠르게 선포할수있도록"
With dozens of people dead or missing due to the heavy rain that's been pounding South Korea for the last few days, President Moon Jae-in has directed relevant ministries to take preventive measures to the "extent that could be seen as excessive."
Moon has also called for a special task force to be created to swiftly designate hard-hit areas as 'Special Disaster Zones', paving the way for them to receive financial support from the state.
Kim Mok-yeon reports.
President Moon Jae-in has ordered government officials to implement measures that could be considered "excessive", in coping with the recent heavy rainfall.
"I ask for the government to operate an emergency countermeasure system to minimize the damage caused by the heavy rain. I call for full, preventative measures to the extent that they could be considered excessive.
Speaking at an emergency video conference with related ministers Tuesday, President Moon stressed the to need focus on areas deemed high risk and take preemptive steps to evacuate residents in those regions.
He also reminded officials to pay attention to the possibility of landslides, while controlling dams and reservoirs to prevent further flooding.
Over the past four days, South Korea has reported at least 14 deaths and 12 others missing, as of 6PM Tuesday.
Thousands have been affected by the floods, with more than two-thousand-three-hundred people from Seoul, Gyeonggi and Gangwon-do provinces needing to be evacuated.
Nearly three-thousand buildings and facilities such as houses, roads and bridges have also been damaged.
Authorities imposed traffic restrictions on some 50 roads nationwide as well as closing more than two-hundred-50 trails at major mountains and national parks.
As for follow up measures, President Moon urged government officials to create a task force to swiftly investigate areas suffering from severe damage. By designating them as "Special Disaster Zones", it allows the state to support at least 50-percent of the expenditure required.
"The President also called on the central and local governments to work together on finding ways to save lives, restore damage and come up with disaster relief initiatives... to act as a reliable "fence" that protects the safety of the citizens."
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.
