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| An empty market in Daegu, March 15 Yonhap |
By Do Je-hae
President Moon Jae-in designated Daegu and surrounding areas in North Gyeongsang Province as special disaster zones Sunday in order to facilitate quick and effective emergency assistance for the nation's largest COVID-19 hotspot.
"President Moon approved the designation of Daegu-Gyeongbuk (North Gyeongsang) as a special disaster zone at 2: 10 p.m.," said presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok in a statement.
The designation enables residents in the affected area to receive stronger state-level monetary and administrative support, including tax benefits.
This is the first time for Korea to implement this measure due to an infectious disease, not a natural disaster as in previous cases.
The last time the Moon administration designated a special disaster zone was after a fire in April 2019 in Goseong, Gangwon Province, which spread to nearby cities including Sokcho, Inje, Donghae and Gangneung.
Cheong Wa Dae's announcement of the designation ― recommended by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun at the request of Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin and North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo ― comes amid escalating concerns about the local economy and the livelihoods of residents in the area. It underlines the government's determination to support Daegu and the Gyeongbuk region, the Prime Minister said during a Cabinet meeting, Sunday.
"The designation shows that the government is determined to overcome the crisis in Daegu and North Gyeongsang as soon as possible with assistance at the national level," Chung said. He returned to Seoul, Sunday, after spending the past few weeks in Daegu to lead the government's efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.
The prime minister noted that 83 percent of the confirmed coronavirus infections were in Daegu and Cheongdo, Gyeongsan and Bonghwa. These cities also accounted for the 87 percent of people who have died from the disease in Korea.
Cheongdo is the birthplace of Lee Man-hee, the leader of a religious group called the Shincheonji Church of Jesus which has been identified as one of the primary sources of local infections.
Chung hinted that the special designation could be expanded to include other areas. Local administrations have been increasingly raising the need for more monetary assistance from the central government to help cope with the economic fallout from the pandemic.
"There is no precedent for declaring a special disaster area for damage caused by an infectious disease," he said. "The government will also consider designating additional disaster areas depending on the damage situation in the region."
The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported 8,162 confirmed COVID-19 infections here as of Sunday afternoon.
