SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung has designated parts of the southeastern cities of Geoje and Tongyeong as special disaster zones eligible for government support after torrential rains battered the region, a presidential spokesperson said Friday.

The government plans to consider designating additional areas that suffered damage following a detailed review, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing, adding full-scale restoration efforts involving all available resources are under way.

Areas designated as special disaster zones are eligible for state funding for reconstruction, while some tax cuts and discounts on utility fees are offered to residents.

More than 800 millimeters of rain pounded South Gyeongsang Province, including Geoje, over the weekend, triggering a landslide in the city that killed a resident.

mlee@yna.co.kr

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