25.04.06.Today News : Granting Special Contributor Status to 3 Indian nationals / City council members head to golf course after president's pardon

1. Granting Special Contributor Status to 3 Indian nationals

On April 6, the South Korean government announced that it would grant long-term residency to three Indonesian nationals who risked their safety to help residents evacuate during the wildfire in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province.

At a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting held at the Sejong Government Complex, Lee Han-kyung, Deputy Head of the CDSCH and Director-General for Disaster and Safety Management at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, "We have decided to grant special contributor residency status to the three Indonesian citizens who helped elderly residents struggling to evacuate during the wildfire." He added, "We express our deep gratitude to those who saved the lives of neighbors without regard for their own safety."

Lee also stated, “We will thoroughly prepare countermeasures to prevent landslides and slope collapses in wildfire-affected areas before the monsoon season.” He continued, “We will establish secondary damage prevention plans to stop landslides in wildfire-damaged areas during the summer.”

According to the CDSCH, the Korea Forest Service will complete emergency inspections of areas at risk of landslides by April 12 and proceed with emergency restoration efforts such as installing waterproof covers by the end of June.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will also form a task force with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korea Forest Service, local governments, and experts to develop joint measures to minimize sediment-related disasters. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to prioritize evacuation for residents of elder care facilities, who are vulnerable during wildfires, by pre-identifying evacuation destinations and securing transportation means for swift action.

As of 6 a.m. that day, 3,193 wildfire victims were still in temporary shelters, with 2,462 relocated to temporary housing facilities. Nearly one million relief items, including emergency kits, blankets, daily necessities, and food, had been distributed. Psychological support was provided in 8,542 cases. Public donations collected through organizations such as the Korea Disaster Relief Association totaled 92.51 billion won as of April 4.

The Central Joint Support Center, operating since March 27, had received 1,723 support requests from wildfire victims. The most common requests were related to facility and housing restoration (484 cases), followed by livelihood support, farming assistance, and financial/legal help. Restoration of broadcast, telecommunications, and water and sewage systems had been completed, and power restoration had reached 99.9%.

One-line summary : The government is granting special residency status to three Indonesian nationals for their heroic actions during the Uiseong wildfire and is preparing countermeasures to prevent secondary damage such as landslides.

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2. City council members head to golf course after president's pardon

Just two hours after the Constitutional Court ruled to impeach former President Yoon Suk-yeol, several local council members in South Gyeongsang Province were found to have visited a golf course.

Critics argue that, considering the national emergency, this behavior reflects a severe lack of awareness and moral integrity.

On April 4, at around 1:10 p.m., Kim Joo-seop, a member of the Gimhae City Council from the People Power Party, visited a golf course in Uiryeong, South Gyeongsang Province, with companions. Among them were Kang Young-soo, a council member from the Democratic Party, and civil engineers from Gimhae City Hall.

Kim currently serves as Chairman of the Urban Construction Committee, while Kang is a member of the same committee and the Special Committee on Ethics.

Kim was seen in golf attire, swinging a golf club. His face, except for his eyes, was covered with a hood. While he was practicing putting away from the starting point, his companions called out “Kim Joo-seop~” to urge him to join them.

A reporter confirmed that Kim and his party boarded a golf cart and headed to the tee-off point.

This occurred less than two hours after the Constitutional Court delivered its impeachment ruling against former President Yoon. The court session had been announced to the public three days prior, on April 1.

Regardless of the verdict, there was sufficient time to cancel the golf outing. Critics question whether it was appropriate for public officials to visit a golf course right after such a critical national decision.

In response to the controversy, the individuals involved claimed they went to the golf course but did not actually play.

Councilor Kim stated, “I went to the golf course because the reservation had been made a month ago, but I only changed clothes at the clubhouse and left.” He added, “Since the reservation was under my real name, the golf course can verify whether I played or not.”

He further explained, “The golf course doesn’t accept cancellations by phone, so I had to visit in person. While heading there, I heard the news about the president’s impeachment, so I didn’t play and just returned.”

Repeated attempts to contact Councilor Kang by phone and message were unsuccessful.

One-line summary : A moral controversy has erupted after council members Kim Joo-seop and Kang Young-soo, along with civil servants, visited a golf course shortly after the impeachment ruling of former President Yoon.