산불에 홍수에 ‘복합 재난’ 이재민들…“임시 주택 2천만원 내라니”

Last July 18th at 11 pm, Kim Yong-hwan, a 74-year-old resident of Gurye-myeon in Andong City, experienced a moment he would never forget. After losing his home to a fire in March, he had moved into an "interim assembly housing" to stay. Suddenly, heavy rain poured down on the temporary structure, so much that his door wouldn't open and his wife cried out, "I can't leave."

Kim told the newspaper 26th that he and his wife fled through a window, terrified of being swept away. On this day, Andong City received more than 50 cm of rainfall in a single day. When Kim and his wife returned to their new interim housing, they found it already in ruins, covered in mud. The couple requested another temporary housing from the city, but Andong City told them they would have to bear the cost of around 20 million won for things like surveying and flattening the ground.

With climate change leading to more frequent disasters like forest fires and extreme flooding, there is a call for a "comprehensive disaster relief" system. The growing number of people facing multiple disasters as they continue to struggle with recovery is a warning, but the support system for multiple disasters remains unclear.

The hardships faced by the residents of Gurye-myeon's temporary assembly housing are demonstrated by this story. Last summer, around ten such temporary assembly homes were washed away by heavy rain in Andong City. The houses, which were only supposed to be used for up to two years, had already been demolished before their support period ended.

The administrative safety department's guide for the operation of interim assembly housing stipulates a basic one-year support period, with the possibility of extending it within 12 months in cases where necessary. However, many residents are requesting more support as their temporary housing disappears without proper recovery. The residents of Gurye-myeon's old people's club, who are living in makeshift shelters, are forced to live in temporary shelters in the community center where they eat breakfast.

The government officials said they would now have to pay around 20 million won for a new interim housing, and this is seen as very inappropriate. The city said that this was just to let the residents know what to expect if they decide to buy a house in the future, but that they could extend the temporary housing period if there was a valid reason.

However, there is no clear policy on whether extra support should be given for "water damage" or if the support period can be extended.