Gwangju Dong-gu Launches '2002 Korea Safety Great Transition' Activities

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City announced that from the 17th of this month to October 14th, it will carry out the ‘2022 Korea Safety Grand Transition’ activities to prevent disasters and safety accidents in advance and to create a ‘safe Dong-gu for residents.’

Dong-gu has organized three inspection teams consisting of 78 people, including public officials and private experts, and plans to conduct a 59-day joint public-private safety inspection targeting a total of 109 facilities and workplaces, including 16 public facilities and 93 private facilities.

The inspection targets by sector include ▲4 aging apartment complexes and other building facilities ▲17 health and welfare facilities such as lodging businesses and bathhouses ▲14 living and leisure facilities ▲3 industrial construction sites ▲4 transportation facilities such as roads and bridges ▲and 67 other sites including steep slopes and landslide-prone areas.

This year, a ‘Resident Application System’ will be introduced to propose additional inspections and solutions to eliminate risk factors for facilities requested by local residents. In addition, for steep slopes and landslide risk areas where visual inspection has limitations, advanced equipment such as drones and artificial intelligence (AI) will be utilized for effective inspections.

After the safety inspection, minor issues will be corrected immediately on-site, and facilities found to have serious defects or risk factors will be subject to safety measures such as usage restrictions, followed by detailed safety diagnoses and repairs or reinforcements.

To strengthen post-inspection management, Dong-gu will operate a ‘Real-name Inspection System’ and disclose inspection methods and pointed-out issues on the ‘National Safety Information Integrated Disclosure System’ to continuously manage the history of facilities.

Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, said, “This year, I hope the Resident Application System will serve as an opportunity for residents to participate in the Korea Safety Grand Transition,” adding, “We will prioritize the lives and safety of residents by removing surrounding risk factors in advance and create a safe Dong-gu where people can live with peace of mind anytime and anywhere.”

Meanwhile, the Korea Safety Grand Transition was first introduced in 2015 to review the state of safety management in our society and improve safety awareness following the April 16 Sewol ferry disaster.