RESIDENTS STILL SUFFER FROM FLOOD DAMAGES

[Anchor Lead]

Cheorwon in Gangwon-do Province suffered devastating floods last summer. Three months later, the water is gone, but flood damages still remain in the community. Even mines have washed up, sparking a dispute among villagers getting ready for mass relocation.

[Pkg]

​The entire village is submerged. A rescue boat travels around the roofs... Some cattle fails to escape from their stable. Three months later... the water has receded and household items were brought back into homes. The village appears to have returned to normal. But it's a different story once you step inside. The walls have been painted instead of wallpapered because they're wet. Stains and mold are spotted as well.

[Soundbite] LEE SUN-JA(RESIDENT) : "I still remember the flood. I wish things could always be this way. I'm most afraid of flooding."

Another village north of the Civilian Access Control Line. This village was built at a spot closest to North Korea to show how well South Koreans live. But the location they picked turned out to be a flood-prone area. Being near the ceasefire line, several mines were washed up by the heavy rain.

[Soundbite] "Solve the problem! Solve the Problem!"

Unable to harvest crops, residents held a protest in front of Cheong Wa Dae, but the mines still haven't been removed. A mass relocation program was planned as a solution to prevent flood damage. But that program ended up dividing the villagers. Some residents suggest moving completely outside of the Civilian Access Control Line... while some opted to stay within the line to continue farming.

[Soundbite] RA MYEON-HO(RESIDENT, IGIL-RI, CHERWON-GUN COUNTY) : "Crop sorting ends late at night, sometimes at 5 am when a harvest is large. We cannot farm if we have to enter the area with an access card."

Residents also have to worry about the money that goes into building new houses.

[Soundbite] KIM JONG-YEON(VILLAGE CHIEF, IGIL-RI, CHEORWON-GUN COUNTY) : "Cost is the biggest problem. Each of us will be saddled with more than 100 million won, not just 10 or 20 million won."

It will likely take a long time for this flood-prone village to remove the mines and overcome conflicts among residents.