MILITARY STEPS IN TO HELP FLOOD VICTIMS

[Anchor Lead]

The military has stepped up to help flood victims. Soldiers are sent to places too difficult or dangerous for civilians to rebuild.

[Pkg]

A village of some 40 residents in Inje-gun County, Gangwon-do Province. The only bridge linking the village to the outside has collapsed due to the recent rainstorm. Vehicles were banned and only the bare necessities were delivered by a roped trolley for the past week.

[Soundbite] KIM KI-AM(VILLAGER) : "I went to the hospital only when foot traffic was allowed. It was very inconvenient."

When rebuilding seemed hopeless, the army engineering corps came to the rescue. Around 100 soldiers built a 46-meter steel bridge in just six hours.

[Soundbite] CORP. YU HYEON-GYU(ROK ARMY 3RD ENGINEER BRIGADE) : "It was hot and humid, but it was rewarding to help out the flood-affected villagers using what I've learned through training."

The area around the Hantangang River Dam was blasted with a heat wave after the downpour. Some 50 army troops are looking for mines or duds that may have gotten swept away by the flooded river after the torrential rain. Each of them carry 21 kilograms of protective gear. It's exhausting work that requires a shift change every 20 minutes due to dehydration risks.

[Soundbite] CAPT. KIM YEON-IL(SPECIAL MANEUVERS SUPPORT BRIGADE, GROUND OPERATIONS COMMAND) : "Report immediately any headache or dizziness so you can get treated. Start the operation!"

They cover 150,000 square meters, while combing the same area four times.

[Soundbite] LT. COL. BAE JIN-WAN(SPECIAL MANEUVERS SUPPORT BRIGADE, GROUND OPERATIONS COMMAND) : "(When do you aim to finish the operation?) Our unit has a 3-week operation plan for this branch of the Hantangang River."

The operation is carried out in some 80 spots. So far, the team recovered three mines. Meanwhile, the Special Air Force Rescue Team is out to search for the missing. Their mission is usually rescuing pilots in emergencies. Today, the goal is locating missing people along the Hangang River. The Navy has deployed a cleanup vessel to collect the debris and garbage spilled out to sea. Yesterday, a team removed one ton of trash from the Mokpo Port area alone. The military reported that roughly 6,600 soldiers and 630 pieces of equipment were deployed in the restoration efforts. More support is on the way.