Interior ministry commits 71.3 billion won for July flood recovery

The South Korean interior ministry said Wednesday it will allocate 71.3 billion won for recovery from July's heavy rains, which damaged homes, farmland and public infrastructure across the country.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters approved the plan Tuesday after confirming 30.9 billion won in flood damage. The rains fell from July 8 to 24 as a stationary front shifted north and south between a cold trough to the north and the North Pacific high to the south.

The flooding affected 13 cities and provinces and 89 cities, counties and districts, including 376 flooded households, 900 hectares of agricultural and forestry crops, five damaged homes and 231 small businesses. Public-facility damage included 71 rivers, 208 small streams, 33 roads and 46 landslides.

The package sets aside 6.4 billion won for disaster-relief payments covering private property losses and 64.9 billion won for public-facility repairs. Flooded households will each receive 3.5 million won, while affected small businesses will receive 3 million won in business-stabilization support. Payments for damaged agricultural and forestry crops and facilities will vary with the affected area.

Locations whose losses fall below the national funding threshold will receive disaster-relief payments under the same standards. Residents in general disaster areas will be eligible for 25 indirect support measures, including deferred national-tax payments and extended local-tax deadlines. Other measures include pension-payment exemptions, disaster-recovery loans, emergency business-stabilization loans, and reduced water and sewer charges. Iljik, Namseon and Imha townships in Andong and Danchon township in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province, were designated special disaster areas on Aug. 7 and will receive 13 additional forms of support.

"The government will swiftly disburse national subsidies under the finalized recovery plan and work with local governments to quickly provide disaster-relief payments to affected residents," Interior Minister Yoon said.