Nowon-gu Selected as an 'Excellent Institution' in the 2020 Disaster Management Evaluation

Evaluation of Disaster Management Capabilities in 5 Areas for 325 Institutions Nationwide... Minister of the Interior and Safety Award with 5 Million KRW Prize and 100 Million KRW Special Grant Secured

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) was selected as an excellent institution in the ‘2020 Disaster Management Evaluation’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The disaster management evaluation targets 325 institutions nationwide (28 central government departments, 226 city/county/district offices, 17 provinces, and 54 public institutions) in accordance with the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management.

It is conducted annually to evaluate the safety management status of disaster management responsible institutions and to enhance disaster management capabilities.

As an excellent district, Nowon-gu secured a prize money of 5 million KRW along with a special grant of 100 million KRW.

This year, disaster management capability evaluation was conducted in five areas: common, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. A central disaster management evaluation team consisting of 60 private experts directly evaluated central government departments and cities/provinces, while higher-level institutions evaluated their respective public institutions and city/county/district offices.

Nowon-gu received uniformly excellent evaluations across all stages of disaster management, including ▲expansion of financial investment in disaster and safety fields ▲performance in disaster and safety management education and publicity ▲safety performance of disaster-vulnerable areas and facilities ▲improvements in crisis management manuals by disaster type ▲crisis management performance of private multi-use facilities ▲securing and managing disaster relief infrastructure.

Looking at examples of excellent evaluations by category, last year’s financial investment in disaster and safety fields was set at a total of 32.1 billion KRW, a 36% increase compared to 23.6 billion KRW in 2018.

As a heatwave measure, 27 nighttime cooling shelters for the elderly were operated, serving a total of 1,197 people, and shade tents were installed at 87 locations. For cold wave measures, 92 bus stop warm shelters and 152 heated chairs were installed. A comprehensive fine dust countermeasure was also established, and air purifiers totaling 928 units were distributed to vulnerable groups: 246 units to senior centers, 419 units to daycare centers, and 254 units to public facilities. Efforts were made to build a safety system for residents, including establishing ‘Fine Dust Safety Shelters’ at bus stops.

Disaster-vulnerable areas and facilities were also reviewed. To prevent safety accidents in aging buildings within the region, the ‘Nowon-gu Building Safety Center’ was established to provide a comprehensive safety management system. Three experts, including architects, structural engineers, and soil and foundation engineers, were hired to take responsibility for the safety of buildings in the area.

Additionally, the ‘Resident Safety Insurance’ was subscribed to alleviate residents’ anxiety. Residents can receive emergency support if they suffer damage from natural disasters or social disasters. Insurance benefits are provided regardless of the location where the accident or disaster damage occurred, and overlapping compensation with existing personal insurance is possible.

Last year, the district received ▲the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s regional safety index ‘Living Safety’ first grade for three consecutive years ▲Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s national safety education ‘Excellent District’ ▲Seoul City’s safe city creation ‘Excellent District’ ▲and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s announcement of 2019 regional safety level first grade.

By being selected as an excellent institution in this year’s ‘Disaster Management Evaluation’ as well, Nowon-gu has been recognized both domestically and internationally as a safe community where residents can live with peace of mind.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “We have consistently worked hard to thoroughly prepare for various disaster situations, including COVID-19,” and added, “We will continue to remove disaster risk factors in advance to protect the precious lives and property of our residents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.