Jung-gu, Seoul has been recognized for its outstanding disaster response capabilities by being selected as an excellent organization for two consecutive years in the ‘2024 Disaster Response Safe Korea Training’ evaluation hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Jung-gu conducted a large-scale joint training assuming a fire at Dongdaemun Design Plaza last October, and received high praise for its systematic preparation and execution in perfect preparation for an actual disaster situation.
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[Korea Today] Jung-gu, which has proven its disaster response capabilities, has been selected as an excellent institution for the 2024 Safe Korea Training for two consecutive years © Reporter Seung-ju Ji |
Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Gil-seong Kim) has been selected as an excellent organization for two consecutive years in the ‘2024 Disaster Response Safe Korea Training’ evaluation hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. This evaluation is conducted to check the disaster response capabilities of 335 organizations nationwide, including central government agencies, local governments, and public institutions, and excellent organizations are selected through a comprehensive evaluation of training planning, execution, and appropriateness.
Jung-gu conducted a joint disaster response drill with Seoul City in October, assuming a large-scale fire at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (281 Euljiro). This drill was conducted on a large scale, with a total of 26 related organizations, including the fire department, police, Dongguk University, and the Jung-gu Autonomous Disaster Prevention Foundation, and 1,100 people participating.
Jung-gu is the district with the most large buildings connected to the basement among the autonomous districts of Seoul. According to statistics from the Jungbu Fire Department, the number of fire dispatches in the past three years has reached 89% of all dispatches. In particular, reflecting the regional characteristics with high fire risk, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a complex cultural space visited by over 10 million people annually, was selected as the training location for this training.
The training began unexpectedly to replicate an actual disaster situation. Immediately after the training situation occurred, Jung-gu District Mayor Kim Gil-seong convened a situation assessment meeting, activated the disaster safety headquarters, and went to the training site to personally command. During this process, cooperation with related organizations such as the fire department, police, and Seoul Metropolitan Government was organically achieved, and each organization demonstrated highly effective responses according to their assigned roles.
During the training preparation process, Jung-gu thoroughly planned and built an organic response system through several preliminary inspections and meetings with Seoul City and the Central Fire Department. These efforts led to the evaluation that a quick and practical response is possible even in an actual disaster situation.
In this training, approximately 1,100 residents, including students from Dongguk University and Hanyang Technical High School and the Jung-gu Autonomous Fire Prevention Foundation, directly participated to experience disaster situations, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of the training. Participants learned evacuation techniques and initial response measures in the event of a large-scale fire, thereby enhancing their practical safety awareness.
Kim Gil-seong, the mayor of Jung-gu, said, “We have strengthened our integrated response capabilities through cooperation with related organizations such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the fire department, and the police,” and “We will continue to prioritize the lives and safety of our residents, further strengthen our disaster preparedness and response system, and create a Jung-gu that is safe 365 days a year.”
Jung-gu’s selection as an excellent organization this time is evaluated as the result of efforts to strengthen practical disaster response capabilities and ensure the safety of residents, rather than simply the results of training.
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