The leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties promised Monday to put politics behind them and work together with the government to help recover damage from recent heavy downpours.
Ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Kim Gi-hyeon visited the central city of Gongju, about 125 kilometers south of Seoul, a day after he arrived from a weeklong trip in the United States. The area was particularly hard-hit by the downpours resulting in hundreds of evacuees.
Kim headed to Gongju after calling off a regular party meeting scheduled for in the morning. During the visit, Kim asked Rep. Chung Jin-suck, who represents Gongju, to mobilize all necessary human resources to cope with the aftermath of the disaster.
Separately, PPP floor leader Rep. Yun Jae-ok requested all member lawmakers to refrain from going on trips abroad, and said members from his party will participate in volunteer work to help restoration efforts in the disaster-hit areas.
The ruling People Power Party (PPP)'s leader Kim Gi-hyeon walks in a disaster-hit region in the southern city of Gongju, 125 kilometers south of Seoul, with party officials on July 17, 2023. (Yonhap)
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) also promised bipartisan support for recovery efforts.
"We will actively cooperate in restoring this national disaster. We will maintain an emergency response system from the regional committee level and remain strongly committed to supporting efforts to restore the damage," DP leader Lee Jae-myung said at a party leadership meeting.
The DP plans to hold off any political schedules, including submitting a motion to open a parliamentary probe into an expressway project, until the rain subsides and the situation gets under control, an official from the party said.
Still, the DP criticized the government for responding poorly to the disaster.
"This is a man-made disaster, which was caused by a lack of proper evacuation and control measures," DP floor leader Park Kwang-on said.
Source: Yonhap News Agency