Interior ministry discusses recovery from Gyeongnam's record rainfall

The interior ministry said Thursday it convened a meeting to discuss emergency repairs after record rainfall in Gyeongnam.

The fourth meeting focused on preventing secondary damage from additional rainfall and assessing recovery needs at schools, power facilities, traditional markets and farms.

Plans include emergency safety checks in landslide-prone and steep-slope areas, with tarps and access restrictions. Relief supplies and psychological-recovery support will go to people in temporary housing and other displaced residents; their homes will be checked before they return.

The plan prioritizes restoring flooded schools and completing safety inspections before classes resume. It will also review flexibly adjusted academic schedules. The plan calls for work with Korea Electric Power Corporation to restore outages, including assistance for households where flooded customer electrical equipment has delayed repairs.

For merchants at traditional markets and shopping districts hit by flooding and mudslides, including Gohyeon Market in Geoje, the headquarters will open a one-stop support center linking facility repairs with financial assistance. Following a prompt damage assessment, farmers will receive support for disaster-recovery costs and insurance payments, as well as expanded pesticide and nutrient supplies and joint crop-growth guidance amid risks of crop disease and pest outbreaks after the rain.

Yoon Ho-jung, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said, "We will mobilize all available personnel and equipment to swiftly complete emergency repairs to damaged facilities, and concentrate all administrative resources on stabilizing affected areas early and helping residents return to daily life as soon as possible."