Deployment of 2,600 Troops and 120 Equipment Units
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-du announced on the 7th that he would mobilize available troops and resources to provide civilian support.
On the morning of the same day, Minister Jeong visited the disaster site in Juksan-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, which was damaged by heavy rain, to encourage soldiers providing civilian support. He said, "We must do our best to restore the flood-affected areas as quickly as possible by mobilizing not only troops but also all available equipment," adding, "Since the military's fundamental mission is to protect the lives and property of the people, active support is necessary."
He urged the on-site commanders to ensure thorough disaster recovery while maintaining no vulnerabilities in military readiness.
He emphasized, "Heavy rain will continue next week as well. Please make every effort to prevent damage to military personnel and facilities and to recover from damage, while ensuring that no vulnerabilities occur in the current military readiness."
The military deployed about 2,600 troops and 120 pieces of equipment in the Chungcheong and Gyeonggi regions on the day to support the search for missing persons and the removal of soil and debris. So far, 4,097 personnel and 124 pieces of equipment have been deployed.
The military authorities also conducted mine detection operations in preparation for the possibility that mines were washed away by the heavy rain. A military official stated, "Due to the possibility of mines being carried in by the heavy rain, we are proactively conducting mine detection operations to ensure the safety of local residents."
Earlier, the Ministry of National Defense raised the operation of the Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters to level 3 at 8 a.m. on the same day. This is the highest level.
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