Seoul Metro Announces Introduction of 'Business Continuity Plan' to Ensure Stable Transportation Services Amid Disasters and Emergencies

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul Metro announced the introduction of a ‘Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)’ on the 29th, designed to ensure stable operation of the Seoul subway during various crisis situations such as disasters and emergencies.

The announcement ceremony was held on the 18th at the company’s headquarters Smart Safety Integrated Situation Room in Dapsimni, with about 20 executives including the president, division heads, and directors in attendance.

The ‘Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)’ is a plan to secure continuity that enables the organization to continuously perform its core functions without interruption in all situations that may cause work stoppage, including natural and social disasters, in order to achieve the organization’s objectives.

According to Article 25 of the ‘Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety,’ major disaster management agencies, including Seoul Metro, must establish plans necessary to maintain their core functions during disaster situations. The company’s goal is to provide transportation services that allow citizens to use the subway safely and conveniently.

Emergency response plans and manuals, mainly focused on subway operation suspension in the event of a disaster, have already been established and are being implemented. In crisis situations such as train derailments or fires within stations, recovery work prioritizing passenger safety is conducted according to manuals, and alternative transportation such as buses has been arranged.

Seoul Metro has taken a step further from these existing measures by developing the Continuity of Operations Plan in collaboration with a professional consulting firm, establishing response measures and recovery systems for all core tasks related not only to train operations but also to organizational management.

The company has established an autonomous safety and health management system through certification of the international standard ISO 45001 for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. Last year, it received an A grade in the ‘National Critical Infrastructure Disaster Management Evaluation’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and was awarded a ministerial citation.

President Kim Sang-beom said, “Having experienced the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic since last year, we deeply recognized the need for effective measures to respond to not only natural disasters but also social crisis situations. With the completion of the Continuity of Operations Plan, we will also obtain certification as an ‘Excellent Disaster Mitigation Company’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and establish a professional and systematic disaster safety system.”

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