Kim Byung-nae, Mayor of Gwangju Nam-gu, 'Into the Field' Inspection of Disaster Risk Facilities

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Kim Byeong-nae, Mayor of Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, has taken swift on-site actions to inspect disaster-prone facilities in the district to prevent damage caused by natural disasters, about 10 days before the start of the 8th term of the elected government.

According to Nam-gu on the 20th, Mayor Kim visited six disaster-vulnerable areas consecutively, including four large apartment and mixed-use complex construction sites around Baegun Square, the frequently flooded area around Baegun Square, and the construction section of Phase 1, Section 4 of Urban Railway Line 2, ahead of the rainy season.

In particular, while thoroughly checking each facility with on-site personnel, he urged them to immediately eliminate factors threatening residents' lives and property rights due to natural disasters and to ensure thorough on-site management to prevent safety accidents such as collapses.

This inspection aligns with Mayor Kim Byeong-nae’s administrative policy emphasizing prior preparation against natural disasters. Right after returning to work following the conclusion of the 8th local elections, he repeatedly gave special instructions through executive meetings that “disaster and calamity prevention is the best measure.”

Leading the on-site command, Mayor Kim and the district office’s response efforts to prevent natural disasters and safety accidents are also accelerating.

First, the Safety General Division, the control tower for disaster management, has begun safety inspections of 48 steep slopes in the district and is conducting frequent surveillance activities on D-grade steep slopes at risk of collapse. They are managing situations throughout the district by operating a collaborative system with departments responsible for disaster-risk facility management, such as the Construction Division and Housing Division.

They aim to create a safe Nam-gu by conducting frequent preliminary and follow-up inspections before the rainy season starts to achieve zero disasters and safety accidents.

The Housing Division is focusing on housing construction and demolition sites. From the 13th to the 17th, inspections were completed at seven sites, including six housing construction sites and the demolition site of the former KBC building where dismantling work is underway.

Additionally, on the 16th, the Urban Planning Division held a public-private TF team meeting to resolve resident inconveniences at construction sites around Baegun Square. They agreed to establish a cooperation system between each site and Nam-gu Office for rapid response in disaster situations caused by guerrilla heavy rain and typhoons, and to operate an emergency contact system by assigning emergency duty personnel at each site.

Furthermore, the Construction Division plans to conduct safety inspections by the 24th on 11 bridges and 5 river sluices, checking drainage functions, facility conditions, and sluice gate operation status.

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