Gunsan City Launches 154.6 Billion Won Disaster Prevention Projects

Existing Projects Worth 257.4 Billion Won Proceed Simultaneously

As heavy rainfall events become more frequent due to climate change, Gunsan City in North Jeolla Province has begun expanding its large-scale disaster prevention projects to reduce urban flooding and disaster damage. The city is accelerating efforts to strengthen its urban disaster prevention system by applying for new projects to the government, focusing on areas with a history of frequent flooding and disaster-prone zones.

Moon Chunho, Director of Safety and Construction Bureau of Gunsan City, holds a regular briefing at the city hall briefing room on the 19th. Photo by Gunsan City Hall

On May 19, Gunsan City announced during a regular briefing that it has applied to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for new natural disaster prevention projects in four districts, with a total project budget of 154.6 billion won, targeting implementation in 2027. This decision is based on the assessment that, with repeated extreme rainfall events of over 100mm per hour and localized heavy downpours in recent years, the existing drainage facilities are insufficient to effectively cope with flooding.

The new projects are focused not merely on simple facility repairs, but on enhancing the disaster response capabilities of the entire city. According to the project plans: ▲ In the Miryong District, 46.6 billion won will be invested to construct new drainage pipelines and a drainage pump station; ▲ In the Eocheongdo District, 37.4 billion won will be allocated for slope maintenance and the improvement of stormwater pipelines. Additionally, ▲ in the Miwon-dong District (34.5 billion won), a stormwater retention reservoir will be installed to store rainwater during heavy downpours; ▲ in the Jochon 1 District, plans include expanding the pump station and creating a retention reservoir, with a budget of 36.1 billion won.

In particular, the Miryong and Jochon 1 Districts are areas where complaints about road and residential flooding have been frequent during heavy rains. The city expects that, upon completion of the projects, the urban drainage capacity will be improved, thereby reducing flood damage. The Eocheongdo District will focus on reinforcing disaster-vulnerable areas by maintaining steep slopes and replacing aging drainage facilities. The Miwon-dong District will also expand its rainwater storage capacity, further enhancing the city’s ability to manage internal drainage.

Alongside the new projects, Gunsan City is simultaneously carrying out disaster prevention projects in six districts, with a total budget of 257.4 billion won.

In Gu-am District, construction is underway for a drainage pump station and a retention basin, while the Sinpung and Naun Districts are in the design process for stormwater retention reservoirs and pipeline maintenance. In the Gyeongpocheon District, plans are being drawn up for pump station expansion and replacement of aging facilities. The Jochon and Gaeyado Districts are also set to begin full-scale design work starting in 2026.

Gunsan City anticipates that, once both the current and new projects are completed in stages, the city’s capacity to prevent urban flooding and respond to disasters will be significantly strengthened.

Recently, local governments nationwide have also been expanding large-scale disaster prevention infrastructure in response to the climate crisis. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is pursuing a deep underground rainwater tunnel project in the Gangnam area, while coastal cities such as Busan and Changwon are expanding maintenance projects in areas that are prone to frequent flooding. Gunsan City’s efforts can also be seen as a proactive response to the risks posed by heavy rainfall on the west coast and rising sea levels.

Moon Chunho, Director of the Safety and Construction Bureau of Gunsan City, stated, "Disaster prevention projects are fundamental undertakings to protect the lives and property of our citizens. We will concentrate our administrative efforts on securing new projects and advancing existing ones so that we can respond effectively to large-scale natural disasters intensified by climate change."

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