Opening of Gwangjin-gu Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters

On the 14th, the Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters opened on the 1st floor of the District Office Safety Management Building... Operated 24 hours for 5 months from May 15 to October 15

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwangjin-gu (District Mayor Kim Seon-gap) opened the Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the first floor of the Safety Management Building at the district office on the 14th to prepare for summer flood and wind disasters.

The Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters operates 24 hours a day from May 15 to October 15 and is composed of 63 members across 13 practical teams, including the Situation Management General Team, Traffic Countermeasures Team, and Social Order Maintenance Team, with the district mayor as the head of the headquarters.

At the opening ceremony, attended by Kim Seon-gap, mayor of Gwangjin-gu, the deputy mayor, heads of departments and offices, and the head of the local autonomous disaster prevention group, the event proceeded with a plaque unveiling ceremony, a report on the 2021 flood and wind disaster countermeasures, and viewing of a promotional video.

Kim Seon-gap, mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “Last year’s monsoon season lasted 54 days, the longest on record, but thanks to comprehensive and systematic flood control measures and the cooperation of residents, there was no significant damage in Gwangjin-gu. Please continue to strive for thorough flood prevention and prompt guidance this year as well.”

In addition, the district operates the ‘Gwangjin-gu Flood and Wind Disaster Call Center’ to integrate the management of civil complaints arising from flood and wind disasters. The call center was established to promptly and systematically handle flood and wind disaster damages and contribute to improving residents’ satisfaction with civil administrative services.

The call center operates when an emergency level 1 or higher is issued according to weather alerts.

Its operations include ▲receiving damage reports and transmitting them to relevant departments ▲providing information on flood and wind disaster insurance enrollment ▲guidance on disaster relief fund payments ▲information on shelters for disaster victims, among others.

Gwangjin-gu operates five rainwater pumping stations that pump out rainwater inflow during heavy rains and rainwater storage tanks at Achasan and Guuimun capable of storing over 3,000 tons of rainwater. For rapid response, an automated system is in place to monitor the operation and opening/closing status of pumps and sluice gates between pumping stations via video.

This year, a total of 18 billion KRW will be invested in sewage and river projects to prevent flood damage, including expanding sewage pipe diameters, increasing rainwater inlets, and replacing aging control equipment at rainwater pumping stations.

Kim Seon-gap, mayor of Gwangjin-gu, stated, “Natural disasters cannot be prevented by human power, but man-made disasters caused by structural problems in the sewage system or manual operation errors can be prevented and reduced. Therefore, the role of the Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters is even more important. I hope everyone will unite their efforts for this year’s flood control measures to protect the lives and safety of residents.”

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