Ahead of Cold Wave Advisory... Seoul City Activates 24-Hour Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Following the Korea Meteorological Administration's issuance of a cold wave advisory for the entire Seoul area at 9 p.m. on the 13th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it would activate the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters from 2 p.m. that day and begin 24-hour emergency duty.

Seoul City and the 25 autonomous districts will operate the "Comprehensive Cold Wave Support Situation Room," composed of five teams: Situation Management, Life Support, Facility Restoration, Crop Measures, and Rescue and First Aid, to prevent any harm to citizens caused by the cold wave. This year, operations will be conducted while adhering to quarantine measures in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The city will first provide emergency shelter spaces for 743 homeless individuals and support winter necessities such as food, bedding, and heating supplies for residents of jjokbangchon (small-room villages). When using emergency shelters or communal facilities for jjokbangchon residents, strict compliance with quarantine rules such as mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing between users will be enforced.

To protect elderly people living alone and vulnerable groups, more than 24,000 disaster helpers will visit and make welfare calls to regularly monitor health and safety, and conduct on-site medical rounds to check health conditions. During the early morning hours when the cold wave is most severe, patrols and protection activities will be intensified in outdoor vulnerable areas such as underground passages, parks, and public restrooms.

Regarding water supply facilities, a project to prevent water meter freezing will be implemented during the winter countermeasure period, and emergency water supply equipment such as water trucks, water tanks, and bottled Arisu water will be secured in preparation for water outages.

The city had already entered an emergency snow removal work system from the night of the 12th, deploying about 6,500 personnel, 1,200 snow removal vehicles and equipment, and 3,200 tons of deicing agents. Thanks to these preemptive snow removal efforts, there was no significant damage caused by snowfall or ice formation. The heavy snow advisory issued for the entire Seoul area at 7:40 a.m. on the 13th was lifted at 1 p.m. that day.

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