Hwaseong Conducts First National Drill on 'North Korean Refugee Protection'

Gyeonggi Province and Hwaseong City conducted a 2026 Eulji Exercise provincial-level actual drill on wartime North Korean refugee protection at the Hwaseong Agricultural Technology Center on the 19th. The representative provincial-level drill serves as an occasion to verify emergency preparedness through actual drills conducted by each municipality.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae said before the drill, "This is a meaningful occasion where we are conducting the first national actual drill on the subject of North Korean refugee protection," and "In times of national crisis such as war, the state must not only provide military response but also ensure the safe movement and protection of civilians—a critical responsibility that the nation must fulfill."

The drill proceeded with theme presentations by related agencies including the Ministry of Unification and the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, followed by Gyeonggi Province's presentation on refugee shelter operation preparations and cooperation measures, and the Korean Red Cross's presentation on wartime refugee support methods.

Subsequently, drills were conducted including procedures for registering North Korean refugees rescued through nearby coastal areas at a Hwaseong temporary assembly point, assuming a wartime situation; training on temporary assembly point operations and situational response assuming dissatisfaction and civil disturbances among some refugees, and fires caused by the toppling of flammable materials.

Provincial and Hwaseong City officials, military and police personnel, and fire and disaster management authorities deployed in the scenario verified organic inter-agency coordination systems including suppression of disturbances, order maintenance, and fire suppression and decontamination, and familiarized themselves with stage-by-stage response procedures suited to each situation.

After completing the drill, Governor Choo Mi-ae emphasized, "When we conduct such emergency drills, everyone comes to appreciate the value of peace," and "Security crises come without warning. Unprepared responses only cause greater confusion. To preserve peace, we must continually conduct drills, cooperate, and show solidarity."