Designated Manager Assigned to 'Flood Risk' Underpass for Supervision... New Control Standards Established

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Conducts Intensive Inspection on Summer Climate Disaster Response

The government reviewed measures to respond to summer disasters such as underpass flooding and landslides. For underpasses at risk of flooding, control standards during heavy rain will be established, and four managers will be assigned per roadway for oversight.

On the 21st, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety held the 20th progress review meeting on the "Climate Crisis Disaster Response Innovation Plan and National Safety System Reform Comprehensive Measures," chaired by Minister Lee Sang-min. Related ministries including the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Environment, Korea Forest Service, and experts also participated.

Following last year's tragedy caused by flooding at the Osong underpass, the government is committed to fully preventing casualties in underpasses. Since August last year, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have formed a task force to strengthen underpass safety management.

In April, a revised guideline was implemented that included establishing control standards for flood preparedness and expanding the installation targets for entry-blocking facilities. The standards require immediate control by the managing entity if the underpass is flooded over 15cm, drainage pumps fail to operate, or there is a risk of river overflow. Regarding entry-blocking facilities, considering proximity to rivers, the installation targets expanded from 16 locations to 431 locations. Installation is expected to be completed at 285 locations by the end of this year.

This year, managers will also be designated for underpasses at risk of flooding. The team will consist of two public officials, one police officer, and one civilian assistant such as a village chief or neighborhood leader. The government plans to revise related guidelines again within the year by establishing installation standards for safety railings, ladders, and other non-facility equipment through research projects.

For landslide damage prevention, in February this year, risk slope information previously managed by each ministry was integrated into the "Landslide Information System." It contains information on steep slopes, farmland adjacent to forests, and national heritage sites. In April, safety inspections were completed for about 74,000 locations to prepare for rockfalls and collapses.

To prevent river disasters and urban flooding damage, the digital twin "Urban Flood Smart Response System" will be enhanced starting next month. This response system links data from IoT sensors, CCTV, and other sources with flood control, providing integrated monitoring at flood control centers and alerting about risk situations based on data analysis results.

In the second half of the year, an urban flood map will be created for 1,654 towns, townships, and neighborhoods nationwide that are at risk of flooding. Additionally, the requirements for lifting erosion control zones will be relaxed from five years to one year, and plans to strengthen design standards for erosion control facilities will be promoted. Erosion control zones are designated areas where ground stabilization projects and vegetation planting are implemented on barren or collapse-prone land to prevent landslides during heavy rain as part of the "Erosion Control Project."

Minister Lee said, "The government will prioritize protecting the lives of the people and work closely with local governments and related agencies to thoroughly implement key tasks in disaster safety. In particular, we will focus on managing the three major types of disasters that caused casualties during the summer season."

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