Hwaseong City Conducts First Nationwide Practical Drill on 'North Korean Refugee Protection'

Gyeonggi Province and Hwaseong City conducted a 2026 Eulji Drill provincial-level practical exercise on the subject of protecting North Korean refugees in wartime at the Hwaseong City Agricultural Technology Center on the 19th. The provincial-level representative drill is an occasion to examine emergency preparedness through actual drills conducted by each city and county.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae said before the drill, "This is a meaningful occasion where we are conducting the first nationwide practical exercise on the subject of protecting North Korean refugees," and added, "In the face of national crises such as war, the state must fulfill not only military responses but also the important responsibility of safe movement and protection of civilians."

The drill proceeded with subject presentations by related agencies including the Ministry of Unification and the U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command, followed by presentations on Gyeonggi Province's preparation for operating refugee shelters and cooperation measures, and the Korean Red Cross's wartime refugee support plan.

Subsequently, drills were conducted assuming a wartime situation, including procedures for registering North Korean refugees rescued through nearby coastal areas at a temporary assembly point in Hwaseong City, operational and situational response drills at the temporary assembly point assuming complaints and civil disturbances over some relief situations, and fire outbreaks due to flammable material spills.

Provincial and Hwaseong City officials, military and police personnel, and fire and disaster management officials deployed in the scenario examined organic coordination systems among agencies in suppressing disturbances, maintaining order, and firefighting and decontamination, and learned step-by-step response procedures suited to each situation.

After completing the drill, Governor Choo Mi-ae said, "When we conduct emergency drills like this, everyone comes to appreciate the value of peace," and emphasized, "Security crises come without warning. Unprepared responses only cause greater confusion. To protect peace, we must always train, cooperate, and stand together."