Sang-min Lee, Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Chief, Urges "Rapid Emergency Recovery and Full Cooperation of Related Agencies to Prevent Public Damage"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety elevated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) from emergency level 2 to level 3 and raised the crisis alert level from "caution" to "severe" as the damage from continuous heavy rain since early morning on the 8th expanded.
On the 9th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that due to the influence of a developed low-pressure trough in the stationary front, rain clouds intensified, and a heavy rain warning was issued yesterday mainly for Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. As very heavy rain continued, the CDSCH was elevated from emergency level 2 to 3 at 1 a.m. that day, and the crisis alert level was raised to "severe."
Earlier, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety held an emergency meeting on heavy rain response at 11:30 p.m. on the 8th, chaired by Prime Minister Han Deok-su, to discuss countermeasures with related agencies, damage status in Seoul, and necessary support.
Lee Sang-min, head of the CDSCH, requested all efforts to strengthen the emergency work system of related ministries, local governments, and affiliated organizations and to prepare for heavy rain. He said, "Since more heavy rain is expected in the Seoul area during the early morning hours, areas where urban rivers may overflow should be evacuated immediately, and areas with damage such as backflow and road flooding should be promptly controlled on-site," adding, "Damage areas should be quickly assessed for damage status and emergency restoration carried out, and if necessary, support from military units should be provided to ensure thorough restoration of social infrastructure."
Furthermore, Prime Minister Han Deok-su emphasized, "Above all, protecting the lives of the people is the top priority," and urged, "Related agencies should maintain a constant emergency system to prevent heavy rain damage and respond quickly and thoroughly to ensure no inconvenience to the public due to heavy rain damage."
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