Large-scale forest fire damage centered on the Gyeongbuk region has exceeded the level of national disaster. It is disastrous to see the thousand-year-old ancient times and the farmers turned into ashes. Human and property damage is also increasing rapidly. It is urgent to set up an extra budget to recover from the damage. Nevertheless, the ruling and opposition parties are wasting only time in a war of nerves. The public will no longer tolerate irresponsible attitudes that go too far.

As of the 27th, the death toll from forest fires exceeded 27, and the area of forest damage exceeded the largest ever. As the scale of damage continues to increase, it is difficult to accurately estimate the amount of damage. The problem is the speed at which the government and political circles respond. Disaster recovery increases the cost exponentially with the delay. Delayed emergency support will intensify the hardships of residents' lives, which will lead to public distrust and political burden. Therefore, it is essential to quickly create an extra budget to secure the damage recovery budget. Both the ruling and opposition parties agree on the need for an extra budget, but are only engrossed in political strife. In particular, the opposition party cut disaster reserve by about 2 trillion won in the process of budgeting last year. It deserves severe criticism for its shortsighted judgment. It was an irresponsible decision to downplay public safety in the face of frequent natural disasters caused by climate change. The political community should not continue the consumptive debate anymore, but start discussing an additional budget immediately.

The elderly victims currently staying in shelters are at risk of deteriorating health in poor environments. The number of victims whose houses were burned down and electricity and water supply were cut off is also significant. There are countless residents whose livelihoods are threatened by damage to forests, orchards, and agricultural land. Local small business owners and self-employed people are also facing a difficult situation due to the loss of temples, a major tourist destination.

This wildfire damage is a national crisis that goes beyond just natural disasters. If prompt and effective measures are not taken, the damage will inevitably expand further. The political community should stop political strife and do its best to protect the lives and property of the people affected. We desperately hope to heal the suffering of the residents of the affected area as soon as possible through rapid supplementary budget formation and execution.