Gimpo's flood-prone Singok district to receive W36.6b overhaul

Gimpo City's Singok district, one of Gyeonggi Province's most persistently flood-prone areas, is set to receive a large-scale flood prevention project after being formally designated a natural disaster risk improvement zone.

The city announced Tuesday that the Singok district had been selected as a new project site under the Ministry of Interior and Safety's 2027 natural disaster risk improvement zone program, with a total project budget of 36.6 billion won ($26.4 million).

Of that amount, 27.4 billion won — about 75 percent of the total — will be covered by national and provincial government support.

The Singok district has long suffered repeated flood damage to residential and commercial facilities whenever sudden heavy downpours strike, with chronic drainage capacity shortfalls compounding residents' hardship.

With the designation now secured, the city plans to roll out phased flood-control infrastructure improvements over five years beginning in 2027.

The comprehensive plan targets the root causes of flooding through a full overhaul of sewer lines, improvements to drainage pump stations and a scale-up of their capacity, and the construction of new stormwater retention tanks.

"Ensuring the safety of residents' lives and property is the most fundamental duty of local government," Gimpo Mayor Lee Ki-hyung said. "We will push ahead with the upcoming ground-breaking and carry out the project without a hitch, building Gimpo into a safe city free from the threat of disasters."