Jeonnam Home to 2,000 Islands... Only One Fireboat Puts Safety on Red Alert

Assemblyman Shin Euijun: "Lives Cannot Be Protected Under the Current System"

Shin Euijun, a member of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea, Wando District 2), directly pointed out the structural flaws in the disaster response system for island regions during the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts held on December 3.

He criticized the fact that, despite more than half of the nation’s islands being concentrated in Jeonnam, there is virtually a complete lack of essential equipment needed for the initial response to fires and wildfires.

Jin Euijun, Former Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member

Assemblyman Shin stated, “Of the approximately 3,000 islands nationwide, 60 percent are in Jeonnam, yet Jeonnam has only one fireboat and just one firefighting helicopter for wildfires. With this level of equipment, it is impossible from the outset to secure the golden hour in the event of a disaster in island areas.”

He also specifically pointed out the unique challenges of fires on islands. “When it comes to island fires, early suppression is critical, but with only ground equipment, response is inevitably delayed,” he said, emphasizing, “Deploying additional fireboats that can swiftly move across the sea and respond immediately is not a choice but a necessity.”

Assemblyman Shin described the current situation as “the resident protection system itself has collapsed,” and urged, “It is time to seriously consider building new fireboats and deploying them to Jeonnam.”

He added, “Establishing a disaster response system tailored to Jeonnam’s circumstances is an urgent task that can no longer be postponed. Disaster response is a fundamental duty of the provincial government, and ‘lack of equipment’ should no longer be used as an excuse for compromising residents’ safety.”

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