Tongyeong Declared Special Disaster Area After August Heavy Rains

President Lee Jae-myung has declared Tongyeong City, in South Gyeongsang Province, a special disaster area (특별재난지역) following the heavy rains that struck the region in mid-August. The declaration was issued under Presidential Notice No. 374 and published in the Republic of Korea Official Gazette (관보), issue No. 21315, on 4 September 2026, taking effect the same day.

The measure activates additional national treasury support for recovery, giving affected residents and the local government access to extra state funding to repair damage and restore livelihoods.

Legal basis and scope

The declaration is grounded in Article 60 of the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety (재난 및 안전관리 기본법), which empowers the President to designate special disaster areas when damage from a natural disaster is extensive. The notice was signed by President Lee Jae-myung and dated 4 September 2026.

The disaster that triggered the designation was a period of heavy rainfall between 15 and 18 August 2026, which caused damage across parts of South Gyeongsang Province. Among the affected municipalities, Tongyeong City was singled out for the special designation.

Support measures

Under the declaration, recovery support is channelled through the Regulations on Standards for Bearing Costs of Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery (자연재난 구호 및 복구 비용 부담기준 등에 관한 규정). Specifically:

• Additional national treasury support (국고의 추가 지원) is provided under Article 7 of the regulations.
• The support is further detailed in attached Table 3 of the same regulations.
• The extra state funding supplements the ordinary recovery budget, easing the financial burden on the affected local government.

The designation means that Tongyeong City and its residents can draw on a higher share of central-government funding for relief and reconstruction than would normally apply.

Declaration details

The notice sets out the key parameters of the designation:

• Disaster fact: heavy rain from 15 to 18 August 2026 causing damage in parts of South Gyeongsang Province.
• Declared area: Tongyeong City, South Gyeongsang Province.
• Support basis: Article 7 and attached Table 3 of the natural-disaster relief and recovery cost regulations.
• Declaration date: 4 September 2026 (Friday).

The declaration takes effect immediately upon publication, allowing recovery procedures to begin without further administrative delay.

What it means for readers

For residents of Tongyeong City, the special disaster area designation is a direct and practical step: it unlocks additional national treasury support that lowers the cost of rebuilding homes, businesses and public infrastructure damaged by the August downpours. For the wider public, the notice confirms that the central government has formally recognised the scale of the damage and committed extra state resources to the recovery effort, a process that will now be carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (행정안전부), which published the gazette.

Source: Republic of Korea Official Gazette (관보), No. 21315 (special supplement 2), 4 September 2026, notices section (official reference: Presidential Notice No. 374).