Gyeonggi Province and Paju City Conduct Nighttime Evacuation Drill for Imjin River Flood Preparedness

Preparedness for Heavy Rainfall and Unauthorized Discharge from Hwanggang Dam
Focused Inspection of Nighttime Response System During Vulnerable Hours
Evacuation, Information Dissemination, and Road Control Drills for Residents

Gyeonggi Province and Paju City conducted a nighttime evacuation drill for residents on the 14th at 9 PM around Imwolg Bridge over Munsancheon Stream in Paju City, simulating the flooding of the Imjin River.

Gyeonggi Province and Paju City conducted a nighttime evacuation drill for residents on the 14th at 9 PM near Imwolgyo Bridge along Munsancheon Stream in Paju City, simulating a flood situation of the Imjin River. Photo by Gyeonggi Province

This drill was organized in preparation for a rapid rise in the water level of the Imjin River, which could result from localized heavy rainfall or unauthorized discharge from North Korea's Hwanggang Dam. It was particularly significant in that the drill was conducted at night—when disaster response is most challenging—in order to closely inspect the emergency response system.

The province focused on reinforcing disaster response capabilities by conducting the drill under conditions similar to an actual disaster environment, and on preemptively identifying potential issues that could arise during on-site operations.

The main elements of the drill included: ▲ operation of the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and activation of the emergency response phase ▲ dissemination of information and inter-agency cooperation via the disaster safety communication network (PS-LTE) ▲ notifying residents through village broadcasts and on-site patrols ▲ prioritizing the evacuation of vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly ▲ evacuating residents from areas at risk of Imjin River flooding ▲ restricting access and controlling roads in riverbanks and low-lying areas prone to inundation, among others.

After the drill, each participating agency conducted a review of their response procedures, with plans to address shortcomings in the nighttime flood warning action manual and the resident evacuation system.

Park Hyunjin, Director of River Affairs at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Since nighttime disasters are particularly difficult to respond to, it is crucial to conduct realistic drills. Through this nighttime drill, we will continue to refine our response system to ensure that resident evacuation and on-site response can be carried out swiftly in real situations."

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