Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop Urges 'Zero' Human Casualties from Typhoon

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, urged for "zero human casualties" in relation to the northward approach of Typhoon No. 12 ‘Omais’.

According to Gwangju Metropolitan City on the 23rd, Mayor Lee presided over a situation assessment meeting and checked the response posture by sector.

With the attendance of 12 department heads of Gwangju City and deputy district heads of 5 autonomous districts, following the typhoon preparedness status check meeting chaired by the Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, they discussed weather situation analysis due to the typhoon’s northward movement, sector-specific countermeasures, and on-site preparedness.

The city activated Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Emergency Level 1 from the announcement of the preliminary special warning in preparation for this typhoon, focusing on ▲strengthening measures to prevent human casualties ▲special management of risk areas and facilities ▲rapid response measures in emergencies ▲quick dissemination of disaster situations using village amplifiers, disaster early warning systems, TV, and radio ▲and establishing a close cooperation system with related organizations in case of emergencies.

Additionally, predicting that this typhoon will bring strong winds and heavy rain, the city prepared detailed countermeasures such as ▲assigning responsible officials to disaster-vulnerable facilities ▲checking the operation status of drainage pumps in low-lying and frequently flooded areas ▲preliminary safety inspections of facilities such as steep slopes and retaining walls ▲vehicle control in underground passages ▲and pre-removal of debris from road gutters, and notified the autonomous districts in advance.

Mayor Lee said, “The greatest reason for the existence of the nation and local governments is to protect the lives and safety of citizens and safeguard their property,” adding, “I hope thorough preparations will be made, including strengthening on-site inspections, to achieve our goal of zero human casualties and minimizing property damage.”

Meanwhile, Typhoon No. 12 Omais is expected to make landfall in Yeosu late tonight, bringing rain accompanied by winds of 100 to 300 mm to the Gwangju area, and is forecasted to change into a temperate cyclone near the sea off Pohang around 6 a.m. on the 24th.

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