Government to Implement Proactive Crowd Safety Management for Year-End and New Year Festivals and Events

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 20th that it will conduct proactive safety management for major areas expected to see concentrated crowds during the year-end and New Year period, such as Christmas, sunset and sunrise events.

During this year-end and New Year period, crowds are expected to gather at 267 major locations to enjoy festivals and events such as Christmas and sunset/sunrise celebrations. In particular, sunset and sunrise spots are mainly located on mountains or water surfaces, requiring thorough preparation against safety accidents such as falls, drowning, and slips caused by crowd congestion.

First, on the 20th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will hold a "Year-end and New Year Festival and Event Safety Management Measures Inspection Meeting" at the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room in the Government Sejong Complex, chaired by Lee Han-kyung, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, with participation from 26 related organizations including central government ministries and local governments.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will operate a "Special Safety Management Period for Crowd Congestion (December 22, 2023 to January 1, 2024)." Regardless of whether there is an event organizer, it plans to actively identify areas with high risks of crowd congestion during the year-end and New Year period and thoroughly manage safety from the event preparation stage. Additionally, it will focus on inspecting local governments' crowd management measures in risky areas and inter-agency cooperation systems, and will supplement any deficiencies through pre-site inspections.

Furthermore, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will conduct intensive inspections of the overall safety management status on site at 15 major locations expected to have concentrated crowds during the year-end and New Year period, led by the Ministry in cooperation with related organizations.

Lee Han-kyung, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, stated, "Since this year-end and New Year period coincides with weekend holidays, a large crowd is expected to gather mainly at major attractions, so we will thoroughly prepare for crowd management and safety accidents," and added, "In particular, the government will make every effort to ensure safety by thoroughly implementing preventive measures in cooperation with local governments, police, fire departments, and other related organizations so that the public can safely welcome a hopeful new year, maintaining a situation management posture and ensuring thorough safety management."

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