This Summer Declares 'ZERO Human Casualties'... Gyeongbuk Province Launches Full-Scale Response to Natural Disasters

Securing Manpower, Equipment, and Materials, Completion of Inspection and Maintenance in Vulnerable Areas

Close Management of 482 Landslide and Steep Slope Risk Sites

Underground Parking Lot 'Water Barrier', No More 'Pohang Tragedy'

Gyeongbuk Province will activate a full-scale response system to prepare for natural disasters during the summer season.

On the 14th, Gyeongbuk Province announced that it has designated the period from the 15th to October 15th as the summer natural disaster countermeasure period and will launch an all-out response to protect the lives and property of residents from typhoons, heavy rains, and heatwaves.

The province plans to maintain a 24-hour situation management system to prepare for unexpected typhoons, heavy rains, and heatwaves, and will activate the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters upon issuance of weather warnings. It will take a proactive approach through a phased emergency duty system involving 13 collaborative departments.

Additionally, the province will organize emergency recovery personnel, equipment, materials, action manuals, and emergency contact systems, and strengthen cooperation with city and county governments, related agencies, and private organizations to operate a pre-disaster preparedness system.

Previously, aiming for ‘ZERO’ casualties, Gyeongbuk Province focused on faster situation assessment and response when incidents occur by inspecting the management status of disaster-vulnerable facilities such as disaster risk improvement districts, steep slope collapse risk areas, and drainage pump stations, and addressed any deficiencies.

For 482 locations at risk of casualties (208 landslides, 88 steep slopes, 49 riverside parking lots, 18 flood-prone roads, and 119 others), multiple persons in charge will be assigned per district for meticulous and close management.

Following the casualties in the underground parking lot in Pohang, the province decided to complete the installation of water-blocking facilities in underground parking lots of apartment complexes and automatic road blocking facilities on vulnerable roads prone to flooding before the rainy season.

Before the full-scale summer rainy season, the province plans to conduct extreme rainfall response drills and meetings with city and county governments and related organizations to enhance disaster response capabilities and strengthen the cooperation system.

Kim Byung-sam, Director of the Disaster Safety Office of Gyeongbuk Province, said, “We will re-examine disaster-vulnerable areas in preparation for summer wind and flood disasters, continuously improve and supplement any shortcomings, and focus on minimizing casualties and property damage through proactive response.”

Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office.

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