Korea Housing Builders Association's Busan chapter donates to Geoje flood relief

The Korea Housing Builders Association has stepped forward to help residents of Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, who lost their homes and suffered severe property damage from record-breaking rainfall.

The association's Busan chapter said Monday it delivered 30 million won ($21,700) in relief funds to Geoje Mayor Byeon Gwang-yong at his office in Geoje City Hall to support flood recovery efforts.

The handover ceremony was attended by Park Jae-bok, chairman of the association's Busan chapter, Kim Chan-su, chairman of the Ulsan and South Gyeongsang chapter, and Park Hui-sun, chairman of the Korean Red Cross's South Gyeongsang branch.

An association official said chapters across the country pooled the funds and channeled them through the Korean Red Cross to Geoje city after catastrophic flooding caused widespread housing inundation and landslides that severely disrupted daily life and prompted the government to designate the area a special disaster zone. "The chapters united to raise a total of 30 million won to help residents return to their normal lives as quickly as possible," the official said.

At the ceremony, Chairman Park said he had heard that sudden torrential rains had destroyed residents' livelihoods and left many struggling to rebuild. "We felt this was exactly the moment our association — which has long worked to ensure housing stability for ordinary people — had to act," he said. "We present this donation with the hope that residents will be able to return to their daily lives as soon as possible."