500,000-won consolation payment, 1 million won for completed relocations

96 emergency units, 339 temporary housing units secured

Guryong Village in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, as seen on Oct. 28. [Yonhap]
Guryong Village in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, as seen on Oct. 28. [Yonhap]

The Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH) will provide financial support to residents affected by last month's fire at Guryong Village in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, while also stepping up safety management to prevent further blazes.

SH said Thursday it plans to pay 500,000 won ($373) in consolation money to each of the 61 households hit by the Oct. 27 fire. Households that complete their relocation will receive an additional 1 million won in support. Applications for the funds will be accepted starting Wednesday at the Guryong Village Relocation Management Center.

SH is also jointly operating a comprehensive situation room at Guryong Village with Gangnam-gu Office. The center monitors and addresses residents' concerns on the ground while coordinating with relevant agencies to provide necessary assistance.

Fire-prevention inspections will also be expanded. SH plans to place additional fire extinguishers throughout the village and will recommend to the Gangnam Fire Station that water supply facilities be installed to ensure adequate firefighting resources. Ongoing management of fire hazards — including unused electrical equipment and abandoned wiring — will continue.

SH had earlier worked with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Gangnam-gu Office to provide relocation counseling to displaced residents staying at temporary shelters and to help them move to temporary accommodations. A total of 435 units have been secured — 96 emergency temporary units and 339 temporary relocation units — with additional units to be arranged based on residents' preferences.

Once the redevelopment project is complete, SH plans to supply 1,107 integrated public rental housing units to support the resettlement of former Guryong Village residents.

"We have put together a support package to offer some relief to residents who have been struggling in the wake of this unexpected fire," SH President Hwang Sang-ha said. "We will carefully look into what is needed to provide real, practical help in stabilizing residents' daily lives, and will continue working with relevant agencies until they can return to a safe routine."

Guryong Village was formed by people displaced during Seoul's urban development drive in the 1970s and 1980s. After being designated an urban development zone, SH has been pushing ahead with a redevelopment project, and residents have been relocating since last year.


shy@heraldcorp.com