Gangnam-gu Selected as Best District in Seoul's Comprehensive Snow Removal Measures Evaluation

Inspecting Snow Removal Preparedness with the Office for Government Policy Coordination, Presenting Systematic Response Measures and Prompt Snow Removal
Segmented Snow Removal Sections for Rapid Clearing by Specialized Companies, Expanding Installation of Heating Cables and Automatic Brine Sprayers on Slopes

Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) was selected as the Best District in the 2024 Seoul City Snow Removal Comprehensive Evaluation. Following last year's Excellence Award, it achieved the remarkable feat of winning the top award for two consecutive years.

This evaluation was conducted from November last year to March this year, targeting 32 entities including autonomous districts, road offices, and the Seoul Facilities Corporation. It comprehensively assessed five areas: plan establishment (preparation), snow removal response capability, equipment and snow removal material management, post-management, snow removal measures involving citizens, and exemplary cases. Gangnam-gu received high praise for promptly implementing snow removal measures considering the area's many slopes and actively introducing advanced snow removal equipment such as electric heating cables and automatic brine spraying devices, which are eco-friendly snow removal methods.

In November last year, the district prepared solid snow removal measures by inspecting readiness together with the Office for Government Policy Coordination and Seoul City. Notably, efforts for swift snow removal work stood out. The district contracts with specialized companies to divide the entire 1,993 routes covering 432 km into three zones for snow removal. Until last year, the area was divided into two zones north and south of Teheran-ro, but this year it was divided into three zones to speed up snow removal operations. To support this, the forward supply bases for snow removal materials were expanded from the existing four locations (Hannam IC, under Dongho Bridge, Guryeong and Ilwon underground overpasses) to five by adding Eungok Samgeori on Heolleung-ro.

The district expanded the installation of electric heating cables (27 locations) that effectively melt snow accumulated on sloped side roads and automatic brine spraying devices (2 locations) controlled remotely to melt snow in areas where snow removal work is difficult. Since 2021, the district has been installing these devices and currently operates 54 electric heating cable sites and 8 automatic brine spraying devices.

In particular, the installation of electric heating cables, which reduces environmental damage, was evaluated as not only eco-friendly but also enhancing the efficiency and speed of snow removal operations.

Additionally, QR codes were attached to 987 snow removal boxes and linked to Gangnam-gu’s app ‘Byeolbyeol Gangnam’. This allows residents to conveniently report issues such as replenishment or damage of snow removal boxes, enabling the district to manage them promptly.

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, “Gangnam-gu has the largest road area among autonomous districts and has about 200 slopes with more than 10% gradient in areas like Yeoksam-dong and Nonhyeon-dong, requiring significant efforts for snow removal work. We will do our best to create a safe Gangnam with advanced snow removal measures.”

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