Kim Dong-yeon Instructs: "Handle Disaster Preparedness as if Over-responding"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] With severe cold weather predicted across the nation including Gyeonggi Province from the 20th, with temperatures dropping below minus 10 degrees Celsius, Governor Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province visited cold wave shelters in the province on the 19th to inspect safety management and urged seamless response.

Governor Kim visited the Ingye-bonDong community center in Suwon designated as a cold wave shelter that morning to check on elderly residents, saying, "I was worried about how you would manage through the cold wave as severe cold is expected from this afternoon, so I came to see," and continued, "There will be a significant temperature difference between today and tomorrow, and it will be coldest on Thursday. If there is anything you need or are lacking, please contact us and the province will provide support. I hope everyone stays healthy."

Prior to visiting the cold wave shelter, Governor Kim visited the Gyeonggi Province Disaster and Safety Headquarters situation room around 9:30 a.m. to receive a briefing on response status from Safety Management Director Kim Kyoo-shik, saying, "It is fortunate that snow removal was well completed before commuting and there has been no major accidents beyond typical traffic congestion, so no inconvenience has occurred. Although snow is subsiding, please manage the situation well even after snowfall in preparation for road freezing."

He further emphasized, "As temperatures are expected to drop significantly over the coming week starting tomorrow, pay attention to cold wave vulnerable groups such as elderly living alone, crop damage, and frozen water pipes, send advance emergency text messages to residents, and handle disaster preparedness with what you might consider over-responding."

Accordingly, the province entered Emergency Level 1 from 1 p.m. on the 19th. At Emergency Level 1, six divisions with 13 departments including situation management, emergency living stability support, and emergency facility damage recovery work jointly and prepare for emergency situations together with cities and counties through proactive situation management.

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province operates 8,129 cold wave shelters including community centers, suboffices, and libraries, along with 67 emergency evacuation centers and 35 mobile worker shelters. Additionally, safety confirmations are being conducted through phone and text for 67,000 vulnerable elderly and 140,000 vulnerable health households, while surveillance is being carried out on the homeless.