Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok Orders Measures to Minimize Resident Damage During Monsoon Season

Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, emphasized the need to make every effort on safety measures such as landslides, dam discharge, mountain solar power, and dangerous reservoirs to minimize damage to residents.

According to Jeonnam Province on the 25th, Governor Kim convened a disaster countermeasure briefing to prepare for heavy rain damage following an on-site inspection of areas at risk of damage from the monsoon season.

At the briefing, 15 departments presented their summer flood and wind disaster response plans. This was in response to forecasts predicting heavy and intense rainfall of 80 to 150mm, with some areas experiencing over 40mm per hour, mainly along the southern coast between the 25th and 27th, due to the northward stationary front and low-pressure system.

The disaster countermeasure meeting focused on concentrated management of areas at risk of human casualties and public awareness campaigns, emergency rescue measures for summer natural disasters, management of landslide-prone areas and resident evacuation drills, prevention measures for damage to agriculture, fisheries, and livestock industries, safety inspections of social welfare facilities and vulnerable groups, and the establishment of medical and quarantine systems to minimize damage to residents from summer floods and wind disasters.

Governor Kim stated, “Unlike in the past, there are many sudden variables in disasters caused by abnormal weather, and especially this year, heavy rains are expected due to the influence of El Ni?o. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare special measures to minimize property damage and prevent any human casualties.” He instructed the preparation of safety management measures in various fields such as forestry, welfare, construction, agriculture and forestry, and marine sectors.

Specifically, he emphasized a one-on-one public official assignment system for areas at risk of human casualties such as landslides, control of underground parking lots vulnerable to flooding during heavy rains, intensive inspections of recently installed mountain solar power facilities, and the establishment of safety management plans for social welfare facilities located in dangerous areas.

He added, “We must establish a practical, field-oriented response system to protect the safety of residents,” and urged, “We will build an effective safety system through emergency evacuation drills and other measures.”

Earlier, on the 24th, Governor Kim Young-rok inspected the management status of landslide-prone areas in Hoecheon-myeon, Boseong, and the operation status of the drainage pump station in Boseong-eup, instructing the establishment of a systematic response system to prevent human casualties in emergency situations.

The landslide risk area in Hoeryeong-ri, Hoecheon-myeon, Boseong, recently completed the installation of check dams, securing the safety of houses at the foot of the mountain. The drainage pump station in Boseong-eup was designated as a natural disaster risk improvement district in 2018 to restore flood damage and prevent permanent damage in the flood-prone Boseong-eup. With a budget of 13.2 billion KRW (50% national funds and 50% local funds), the installation was completed in August 2022.

Governor Kim Young-rok said, “In areas at risk of human casualties within residents’ living zones, emergency measures along with a ‘resident-first, report-later’ system are important,” and urged, “Please do your best to ensure that not a single human casualty occurs.”

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