South Korea shifts flood response to recovery mode after Liberation Day holiday deluge

The Ministry of Interior and Safety said Friday it would close its Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and immediately shift to a Recovery Support Headquarters as of 9 a.m., pivoting from emergency response to recovery following the heavy rains that struck South Gyeongsang Province during the Liberation Day holiday.

The transition aims to accelerate emergency repairs to damaged facilities in southern areas including Tongyeong and Geoje, and to help displaced residents return to their normal lives as quickly as possible.

The Recovery Support Headquarters will be led by the ministry's disaster recovery support director and organized into five units: a general recovery coordination team, a disaster relief team, a psychological support team, a field support team, and an emergency repair team comprising relevant ministries — the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. A joint central disaster damage investigation team will also be deployed depending on the scale of the damage.

The headquarters will push ahead with emergency repairs to both private and public facilities and concentrate relief efforts on minimizing hardship for residents staying in temporary housing.

Authorities also plan to work closely with local governments to ensure disaster relief payments for losses including casualties and housing damage are disbursed as quickly as possible, with active administrative and fiscal support to follow.

Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung urged officials to "work in close coordination with relevant ministries and local governments so that every step — from damage assessments to recovery planning — is carried out without any shortcomings, to help affected residents return safely to their daily lives as soon as possible."