RESTORATION WORKERS SHORT IN SUPPLY

[Anchor Lead]

Restoration efforts are in full swing around the nation after devastating floods. But restoration workers are in short supply, and residents in flood-hit areas are struggling to get back on their feet.

[Pkg]

​This ginseng field was submerged in water for two days after torrential rain. The plants have become swollen and can be easily pulled out of the soil. Farmers, who dedicated five years of painstaking efforts to cultivate their ginseng, have given up on restoration due to a shortage of workers.

[Soundbite] KANG YOUNG-SHIN(JEOLLABUK-DO PROV. RESIDENT) : "We need to find more workers, but the reality is -- only those in their 60s and older are willing to work in rural areas. They are mostly in their 60s and 70s."

An elderly couple tries desperately to prevent their rice plants from decaying using pesticides. The scorching weather makes their work even more challenging.

[Soundbite] KIM JUNG-OH(JEOLLABUK-DO PROV. RESIDENT) : "There's nothing I can do now. All my peppers became sick and fell off because of the water."

This village was swept away when the Seomjingang River broke its banks. After throwing away all destroyed household items, the house is empty. Its owner is at a loss as to how to restore his home.

[Soundbite] LIM JUNG-SEOP(NAMWON RESIDENT) : "My parents have no money whatsoever. They evacuated empty-handed in the middle of the night."

In Namwon, 600 houses were either inundated or destroyed by the recent floods, but the compensation for victims has been the same for 15 years.

[Soundbite] KIM UI-CHUL(NAMWON RESIDENT) : "It's one or two million won at most. Look at this warehouse. These rice sacks and plastic sheets for packing melons cost millions of won."

The floods have now stopped, but people who have lost their homes and livelihoods have yet to figure out how to get back on their feet.