Gangwon Province and KEPCO Lay the Groundwork for Expanding 'Underground Power Lines' for Wildfire Prevention

Gangwon Province and Korea Electric Power Corporation Sign MOU for Wildfire Prevention and Power Facility Safety
Wildfire Prevention Undergrounding Projects Added to Local Government-Initiated Undergrounding Initiatives

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 'Wildfire Prevention and Power Facility Protection' with Korea Electric Power Corporation (President Kim Dong-chul) at the Provincial Government Trade Consultation Office on the 11th.

Gangwon Province Governor Jin Tae Kim is signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 'Wildfire Prevention and Power Facility Protection' with Korea Electric Power Corporation (President Dongchul Kim) at the Provincial Government Trade Consultation Office on the 11th. Provided by Gangwon Province

The signing ceremony was attended by Governor Kim Jin-tae and Kim Dong-chul, President of Korea Electric Power Corporation. Both organizations reaffirmed the importance of establishing a cooperative system for joint response to disasters and emergencies in the Gangwon region, as well as the significance of protecting power facilities to prevent wildfires and ensure stable electricity supply.

Under the agreement, the two parties will cooperate in various areas, including: ▲ administrative support and consultations on building a power grid system to prevent wildfires around power facilities ▲ identifying new projects for wildfire prevention ▲ expanding wildfire prevention projects around the province's power facilities and promoting the underground installation of overhead distribution lines ▲ discussing ways to jointly utilize unmanned wildfire monitoring systems and early wildfire response systems for power grids.

In particular, this agreement has gained greater importance following the revision and announcement of the operational standards for the underground installation of overhead distribution lines. With the addition of wildfire prevention as a purpose for undergrounding projects, alongside the existing focus on improving urban aesthetics at the request of local governments, collaboration between local governments and Korea Electric Power Corporation has become even more crucial.

The province recognizes the growing importance of managing areas around power facilities in response to the recent trend of larger and longer-lasting wildfires. Together with Korea Electric Power Corporation, Gangwon Province plans to systematically conduct detailed inspections and eliminate risk factors. Through these efforts, the province expects to prevent large-scale blackouts caused by wildfires and to ensure the safety of residents as well as the stability of electricity supply.

Kim Dong-chul, President of Korea Electric Power Corporation, stated, "Among regional governments, the province is the first to sign an MOU related to disaster safety. While 80% of the province's area is forested, which is both a source of pride and a valuable asset, it is also constantly exposed to the threat of wildfires."

He added, "Through this agreement, we will further strengthen wildfire prevention activities together with the province, which will greatly contribute not only to the safety of power facilities but also to the safety of the local community."

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, is taking a commemorative photo after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Korea Electric Power Corporation (President Kim Dong-chul) for 'Wildfire Prevention and Protection of Electric Power Facilities' at the Provincial Government's Trade Consultation Office on the 11th. Provided by Gangwon Province

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, said, "The Provincial Wildfire Prevention Center and the Gangwon Regional Headquarters of Korea Electric Power Corporation have already been working together on wildfire prevention projects through a previous agreement. With this new agreement with the headquarters president, I expect our level of cooperation to be upgraded even further."

He also stated, "Now that underground installation projects can be pursued as a wildfire prevention measure, I hope this agreement will serve as a catalyst for the widespread undergrounding of power lines in forested areas."

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