Suwon Residents Check Typhoon Information Through 'KakaoTalk Rooms'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] As Typhoon No. 18 'Mitag' approaches the Korean Peninsula, Suwon City announced on the 1st that it will operate a 'KakaoTalk open chat room' in which any citizen can participate.

When typhoon advisories and warnings are issued, citizens who witness damage can send photos of damage and situation descriptions to the open chat room, and the city plans to quickly grasp the situation and take follow-up measures to minimize additional damage. The open chat room will be operated until the typhoon advisory and warning are lifted.

Damage reports from citizens are immediately shared to a 'disaster and safety management SNS response group chat room' in which the City's First Vice Mayor, Second Vice Mayor, Director of Planning and Coordination, Director of Urban Policy, heads of four district offices, and disaster and safety management staff participate. Participants in the chat room exchange damage information and establish inter-departmental cooperation systems to take immediate action.

On the 30th of last month, the city sent a message to approximately 433,000 'Suwon City KakaoTalk friends' asking them to report typhoon-related information. Searching for 'Typhoon Report' on the message screen will connect to the open chat room. You can also enter by searching for 'Suwon City Real-time Typhoon Damage Report' in the KakaoTalk chat search box. To become a KakaoTalk friend with the city, search for 'Suwon City' in the KakaoTalk search box and add it as a friend through the Plus Friend menu.

The city plans to establish a 'citizen-participatory disaster and emergency response model' based on the results of operating the typhoon damage report open chat room. The city will operate an open chat room when other disasters or emergencies occur in the future.

Meanwhile, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Typhoon No. 18 'Mitag' is expected to pass through the sea west of Jeju on the 2nd evening, make landfall on the Jeollanam-do coast around midnight, pass through the southern regions, and exit to the East Sea by early afternoon on the 3rd.