Gyeonggi Province Prepares Heavy Snow Response; Emergency Alert Level 1 Activated From 5 P.M. on 14 Districts

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] With heavy snow forecast across Gyeonggi Province from the evening of the 17th through the early morning of the 18th, the province is implementing emergency response measures, including activating Emergency Alert Level 1 of the Disaster Safety Response headquarters starting at 5 P.M. on the 17th.

Gyeonggi Province held a heavy snow response strategy meeting with 31 municipalities at 2 P.M. that day, chaired by Park Won-seok, Director of the Safety Management Office of Gyeonggi Province, and reviewed inter-city and county road snow removal coordination and public transportation measures.

The Korea Meteorological Administration issued a heavy snow preliminary alert at 11 A.M. on the 17th and announced that heavy snow watches would take effect early on the 18th in 14 districts including Gwacheon, Uijeongbu, Suwon, Seongnam, Guri, Namyangju, Uiwang, Hanam, Yongin, Icheon, Anseong, Yeoju, Gwangju, and Yangpyeong across the province.

Accordingly, the province plans to send emergency disaster text messages from that afternoon and launch public awareness campaigns on citizen safety measures using Gyeonggi Province buses and other transportation.

Additionally, the province has pre-positioned 4,668 snow removal vehicles and 2,337 snow removal trucks across 175 snow removal vulnerable sections in 16 municipalities including Hyuncheon-dong, Goyang and Daya-dong, Siheung, and 356 road icing vulnerable sections in 30 municipalities, and has begun preemptive snow removal work including advance application of de-icer.

Furthermore, to prevent congestion during tomorrow's commute, the province will provide guidance on traffic disruption areas and route diversions using the Gyeonggi Province Bus Information System and other means, and will implement public transportation diversions and increased services when necessary.

To prevent operation suspensions of the Yongin, Uijeongbu, and Gimpo light railways, the province will conduct inspections of facilities including rail heaters and track switches, and has directed relevant municipalities and operating companies to implement emergency duty.

The province is currently reviewing plans to increase service on all three light railways during tomorrow morning's commute hours.

Park Won-seok, Director of the Safety Management Office of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "We are thoroughly preparing in advance to prevent a recurrence of commute congestion due to heavy snow that occurred on the 6th," and added, "As concentrated heavy snow is expected early tomorrow, it is advisable to use public transportation during the morning commute."