INSUFFICIENT WILDFIRE COMPENSATION

[Anchor Lead]

Victims of the sudden wildfire in Gangneung who have lost their homes desperately wish to return to their daily lives as quickly as possible. However, the government's support and fire insurance compensation do not seem to be sufficient for the affected residents.

[Pkg]

The staff lodging facility of this guesthouse has been burned to ashes. The four-storey building for guests is charred on one side. Some of the windows are broken. Although the guesthouse owner has fire insurance, getting full compensation is not easy. That's because proving how much damage has been caused to the interior of the building is difficult. Receiving compensation for business losses is also impossible unless the owner had signed up for special terms and conditions of the insurance plan.

[Soundbite] Shim Bok-seop(Guesthouse owner) : "All the papers have been burned. There is no way to prove the extent of damage. The amount of insurance compensation is probably going to be smaller than I think."

Things are especially bleak for displaced residents with no fire insurance. Unlike lodging facilities, most of the regular houses are not insured. The residents tried to recall every aspect of damage sustained from the wildfires to get funding from the government, but no one can say for sure how much compensation they will be able to receive.

[Soundbite] Kim Seung-ki(Displaced resident) : "I did not insure my house against fires because it was over 70 years old. Now I don't know what to do."

Some parts of Gyeongpo in Gangneung have been designated as special disaster zones, but funding for restoration will be limited. Even if an entire building has been burned, the maximum compensation is limited to 36 million won.

[Soundbite] Lee Kang-yeol(Displaced resident) : "We need palpable support that we can actually feel."

To return to normal life as soon as possible, displaced residents are calling for support from the private sector as well, including in the form of individual and business donations.