Sangmin Lee: "Disaster Management System Fully Shifts from 'Post-Recovery' to 'Prevention'"

"Reestablishing Standards Centered on the Past 5 Years"
Mention of Practical Joint Training, Inspections, and Education
Presiding Over the First Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters Meeting After Returning to Work

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, who has returned to his duties as the head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stated, "It is important to completely shift the disaster management system from a post-recovery focus to a preemptive prevention focus."

On the morning of the 26th, Minister Lee held a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room to respond to the heavy rain, saying, "Our current disaster management system is not keeping pace with the speed of climate change." On the same day, he held a video conference with vice-minister-level officials from 13 central government ministries and deputy heads of 17 metropolitan and provincial governments, stating, "We will newly establish various standards such as design criteria and control and evacuation standards centered on the recent five years reflecting the climate crisis, not the past 10 or 20 years, and completely overhaul the manuals."

Minister Lee also said, "To prevent repeated damage caused by delays in recovery projects due to administrative reasons, we will establish a separate fast track for prevention and recovery projects and significantly expand the budget for disaster prevention and damage recovery."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Furthermore, he emphasized, "We need to expand the introduction of a digital-based disaster management system to slopes beyond small streams and landslide risk areas and increase the speed of implementation. The situation room should not be a place where reports are made and received to become aware of situations, but a situation room where real-time data is immediately accumulated."

He also stated, "Not only disaster officials but also local government heads, deputy heads, and executives need to strengthen their disaster response expertise. For this, regular joint drills, inspections, and education are necessary. Keep in mind that there should be no more loss of life, and since typhoons and heavy rains are likely to continue occurring, maintain vigilance until the end and make every effort in preparation, response, and recovery."

At the meeting, key agency heads including the Commissioner of the National Police Agency, the Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, and the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service attended in person to report on their respective heavy rain response situations and discuss current issues. During the meeting, Minister Lee received reports on the weather outlook for July and August, heavy rain damage and recovery status, road slope safety management measures from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, crop damage status and support measures from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and landslide prevention measures from the Korea Forest Service.

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