Lawmakers pass resolution to support Turkey, donate salary

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Lawmakers pass resolution to support Turkey, donate salary

The National Assembly passes a resolution calling for support of quake-stricken Turkey and Syria on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

The National Assembly passes a resolution calling for support of quake-stricken Turkey and Syria on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

 
The National Assembly adopted a resolution in support of recovery efforts for earthquake-stricken Turkey and Syria on Tuesday.  
 
Lawmakers also agreed to donate 3 percent of their salaries in the month of February to support quake victims.  
 
The resolution passed with an overwhelming 228 of 229 seated lawmakers, with one abstention.
 
The resolution expressed condolences to the victims of the powerful earthquake that occurred on Feb. 6. It also urged the Korean government to actively support emergency relief and recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria, and to do its best to secure the safety of Korean residents, international students and travelers there.  
 
Lawmakers across the party line also passed a bill agreeing to donate 3 percent of their February salary to earthquake relief efforts. As the monthly general allowance for lawmakers is around 6.9 million won ($5,400), each member is expected to contribute about 207,000 won.
 
“The purpose to raise donations at the parliamentary level is to comfort the Turkish and Syrian people who have suffered massive losses in life and property from the earthquake and to help recovery efforts,” said National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo.  
 
The resolution on Turkey and Syria was approved earlier that morning by the parliamentary foreign affairs and unification committee, a product of bipartisan cooperation.  
 
It was a result of combining three resolutions initiated by People Power Party (PPP) Reps. Jung Hee-yong and Chung Jin-suk and Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Yoo Ki-hong.  
 
Last week, PPP Rep. Kim Tae-ho, head of the Korean National Assembly’s foreign affairs committee, sent a letter expressing the parliament’s condolences to his Turkish counterpart.
 
“My committee will do its utmost to ensure that the Korean government will be prompt in providing humanitarian assistance,” Kim said in a letter dated Feb. 7 addressed to Akif Cagatay Kilic, chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee.
 
“I hope that the Turkish people, whom we Koreans regard as our brothers and sisters, will recover from the damage as early as possible.”
 
“As a responsible member of the international community, Korea will continue to work together for the recovery and restoration of affected areas,” said Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as he presided over a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.  
 
In a meeting with aides Monday, President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the government to mobilize all available resources to secure relief supplies.  
 
Korea is expected to dispatch a second team of rescue workers to Turkey on Thursday with the first team of Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) personnel set to wrap up operations Friday.  
 
The Korean government plans to send relief supplies including 150 tents and 2,200 blankets to Turkey on a KC-330 military transport aircraft Thursday, alongside the second round of KDRT personnel and medical staffers.
 
According to Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korean relief personnel have rescued eight survivors and recovered 19 bodies since the first KDRT team of 118 personnel arrived in the country last Wednesday.
 
Officials pointed out that the situation in the affected areas is deteriorating, with water and electricity cut off. The relief team is said to be experiencing inconveniences in obtaining food, clothing and shelter, and some rescue personnel and rescue dogs are extremely fatigued or slightly injured.  
 
Foreign Minister Park Jin is scheduled to hold a public-private meeting Wednesday to discuss the logistics of sending the second round of rescue personnel and relief supplies and preparing for the future direction of reconstruction efforts.  
 

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
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