[Edaily Reporter Yang Ji-yun ] Households affected by major wildfires, fires, or explosions in areas designated as special disaster zones will now be eligible for free home appliance repair services. Travel expenses and labor costs for appliance repairs will be fully waived, and parts costs will be reduced.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 19th that it will sign a revised “Memorandum of Understanding for Free Home Appliance Repair Support in Disaster-Affected Areas” with SamsungElectronics(005930) andLGELECTRONICS(066570)on the 20th.

The key point of this amendment is to expand the scope of support—which was previously limited to natural disasters such as typhoons and heavy rains—to include social disasters, such as large-scale wildfires, fires, and explosions, in areas designated as “special disaster zones.” Previously, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the two companies first signed a memorandum of understanding in July 2021 and have been providing support for the repair of disaster-damaged home appliances ever since.

Under the revised agreement, support will focus on home appliances that have been submerged during natural disasters and on those that have been completely destroyed by fire or wildfires, or warped by heat, during social disasters. In particular, mobile devices—such as cell phones, which are essential for disaster victims’ communication and livelihood—will be inspected and cleaned as a priority.

When replacing core components of home appliances—such as motors and circuit boards—travel expenses and labor costs for on-site repairs will be covered 100% free of charge. The program also plans to offer discounts on parts costs to reduce the financial burden on affected residents.

Affected residents can access these services by visiting the “Joint Free Repair Team” booths set up on-site in response to requests for support from local governments and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. For large home appliances that are difficult to transport, residents can request a visit from an “Individual Repair Team” to have them repaired at home.

Kim Gwang-yong, Director General of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, “As the nature of disasters has become increasingly complex, various forms of social disasters—such as large-scale wildfires and fires—are occurring frequently, in addition to natural disasters.” He added, “Building on our existing cooperation framework in the home appliance sector, we will further diversify and expand the scope of support so that disaster victims can tangibly feel the government’s practical assistance.”