Did Gyeongju Convention Center Collapse? ... Gyeongbuk Province Conducts Disaster Response Safety Korea Drill

Assuming a Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake in Gyeongju, Response Manual Review

Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Gyeongsangbuk-do conducted the ‘2021 Disaster Response Safe Korea Drill’ on the 19th to prepare for various disasters such as earthquakes.

The Safe Korea Drill is a government-led disaster response exercise conducted annually during a set period as part of disaster preparedness training.

It is implemented under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to inspect the disaster response systems of each institution and to supplement any shortcomings in the response manuals.

It also strengthens the initial response capabilities of collaborating departments and solidifies cooperation systems with related agencies.

This year, due to concerns about COVID-19 infection, the training was conducted through non-face-to-face discussion methods.

The drill was conducted assuming a situation where a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred 9.1 km southwest of Gyeongju, putting the area at risk.

The Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center collapsed, and large-scale complex disaster situations including fires broke out throughout the city.

The 13 participating collaborative functional teams, Gyeongju City, Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education, Gyeongbuk Police Agency, and the 30th Infantry Division carefully reviewed each institution’s duties and roles according to the disaster response action manual.

They also discussed points to add or change in the response manual, taking time to find the most appropriate response methods for actual field situations.

Gyeongsangbuk-do held a ‘Disaster ZERO Special Lecture’ for key disaster-related collaborative department staff who participated in the drill to enhance the capabilities of public officials in connection with the Safe Korea Drill.

The newly launched special lecture this year was held over four sessions with 235 participants.

The disaster response drills, previously conducted twice a year, were increased to four times a year starting this year to develop better response and prevention capabilities.

Efforts were also made on children’s safety and COVID-19 response policies, including operating child safety schools, developing customized safety education programs for vulnerable groups, and conducting online safety education for residents to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The province was recognized as an ‘Excellent Institution’ in the national safety education status inspection conducted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety this year for these achievements.

Kang Seong-jo, Deputy Governor, said, “The scale of damage depends on how well the initial response is handled when a disaster occurs,” adding, “We will repeatedly conduct thorough training to create a safe region resilient to disasters.”

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