YOON STRESSES RESTORATION EFFORTS

[Anchor Lead]

President Yoon has ordered all-out efforts to cope with damage caused by unprecedented torrential rains. He ordered swift restoration and efforts to prevent further damage as well as the overhaul of the disaster management system from scratch. Yoon visited the site of a tragedy in which a family of three, including a person with a developmental disability, passed away in the flood unable to escape from their semi-basement apartment.

[Pkg]

President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the home of a family of three that passed away in the recent flood when water permeated their semi-basement home. One of its members had developmental disability. He met with local residents to hear more about the deceased family.

[Soundbite] Yoon Suk-yeol(President) : "How come they couldn’t escape earlier? (It happened in a split second.) I guess it was flooded in a matter of seconds."

The South Korean leader pointed out, the disaster happened because of poor management of the nearby stream.

[Soundbite] Yoon Suk-yeol(President) : "Because it’s a low-lying area, when the Dorimcheon Stream rises over its banks, this neighborhood becomes inundated right away."

After taking a look at the site of the disaster, he ordered the environment minister to develop a water level monitoring system. According to the nation's top office, Yoon also ordered his administration to inspect the residential safety of the socially vulnerable such as seniors and people with disabilities, as they are the ones who bear the brunt of disasters. Earlier, he presided over an emergency meeting and urged officials to exert all-out efforts to address the situation. He told them to take measures to protect select neighborhoods including those prone to landslides and low-lying areas. Yoon said the current disaster management system must be overhauled, as natural disasters are poised to become a new normal.

[Soundbite] Yoon Suk-yeol(President) : "We can’t avoid natural disasters, but there must be no human casualties."

On Wednesday the president held a meeting on flood damage to discuss preventative measures and restoration efforts with the relevant ministries.