President Lee visits downpour-devastated southern county

President Lee toured a southern county in Gyeongsangnam-do Province today, which has been hit hard by recent downpours.

He called for the need to speed up designating flood-hit areas as special disaster zones.

Our presidential office correspondent Yoon Jung-min reports.

Stepping on the ground where a trail of devastation was evident, President Lee Jae Myung met with residents, many of whose homes and farms had been turned into wreckage.

He was in Sancheong-gun County in Gyeongsangnam-do Province on Monday, where at least 10 people were killed and four are missing.

"Do you need anything?"

"The entrance to our cattle shed has been completely blocked."

"Do you need a machine to remove the debris?"

The President also met rescue workers and was briefed about the situation by the county's deputy mayor.

"Why has the town been hit particularly hard?"

"We thought the clouds would dissipate, but they didn't and caused downpours."

The President expressed his condolences and instructed officials to establish measures to prevent such disasters from happening again.

He asked rescue workers to do their best searching for the missing, as he listened to the suffering of the people.

"The president asked officials to provide recovery and relief support that people actually need, as he heard from the residents that they are in short supply of shoes and underwear because they had to evacuate abruptly."

For that, Lee called for speedy aid, in line with the announcement the previous day to swiftly designate areas hit hard as special disaster zones to help facilitate financial and recovery support, while also mentioning providing special grants.

Present at the site was the new interior minister Yun Ho-jung, who was instructed by the President to use all available measures to help support the residents affected.

Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.