Interior ministry chief checks safety of wildfire relief housing in Gyeongbuk

The interior ministry said Monday its disaster safety chief visited a temporary assembly housing complex for wildfire victims in Uiseong County, Gyeongbuk Province, to inspect facility safety ahead of the Chuseok holiday. Kim Kwang-yong, head of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, toured the site on Sept. 21 to ensure residents could spend the long weekend in a secure environment following recent heavy rains.

Kim met directly with households that relocated in July after their initial temporary units suffered flood damage, offering condolences and listening to their daily difficulties. Accompanied by provincial and county officials as well as facility experts, he examined the structural integrity of the current housing units, verifying that anchor installations and other reinforcements were properly executed to withstand typhoons or strong winds. The inspection also covered resident evacuation protocols and measures to prevent a recurrence of the July water damage.

During the visit, the official urged local government representatives to remain vigilant regarding facility safety and maintain a system capable of rapid response to any unexpected disasters during the holiday period.

As of Aug. 31, a total of 1,898 households displaced by wildfires are residing in temporary assembly housing across five cities and counties in the province: 582 in Andong, 435 in Cheongsong, 645 in Yeongdeok, 172 in Uiseong and 64 in Yeongyang. Local governments are supporting these families with electricity bills capped at 400,000 won per month.

Additional aid is available for residents constructing new permanent homes, including exemptions on acquisition and registration taxes and reductions in surveying fees.

"I offer my deepest condolences to the displaced residents who have endured hardships from wildfires followed by concentrated heavy rains," Kim said. "We will meticulously check the safety of the temporary housing and address living inconveniences so that you can spend the Chuseok holiday with peace of mind, and we will do our utmost to support housing stability and damage recovery for a swift return to normal life."