Seoul: Acting President Han Duck-soo announced on Thursday that the government is committed to ensuring a "lasting" recovery from the country's worst-ever wildfires. The plan involves crafting comprehensive strategies to tackle climate change and stimulate local economic revival.
According to Lao News Agency, Han's remarks were made during a government meeting focused on assessing the progress of recovery efforts following the deadly wildfires that ravaged the southeastern provinces of North and South Gyeongsang last month. "We will not stop at simply restoring the previous state but make a lasting recovery," Han stated. The initiatives aim to address climate change, revitalize the local economies, protect ecosystems, and restore wildfire-damaged areas.
Han emphasized the need to resolve housing issues for the more than 3,700 people still displaced and directed the health ministry to create detailed support plans for senior citizens who lost their homes. He also urged the environment and oceans ministries to implement thorough measures to prevent pollution from wildfire debris and to prepare for potential wind and flood damage in the coming months.
He called on each ministry and local government to remain vigilant and prioritize the protection of lives and property through preemptive measures and continuous inspections. The wildfires, which began on March 21 in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, and spread to Uiseong the following day, have been recorded as the worst in the Republic of Korea's history, causing 75 casualties, including 31 deaths. The area of damage has been provisionally estimated at 104,000 hectares.