Search for Missing Elderly Couple in Wonju Enters 15th Day... Wonju City Provides Additional 'Drone' Equipment Support

94 Drones Owned, Additional Drones Deployed for Sanbul Surveillance Team
Support Supplies Delivered to Search Sites by 12 Organizations and Companies

Won Gang-su, mayor of Wonju, is receiving an update on the search status for missing persons in Bullon-myeon from fire officials. [Wonju City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] As the search for the missing elderly couple in Buron-myeon, Wonju-si, Gangwon Province faces difficulties, Wonju City has deployed 76 drones to support the search and plans to deploy an additional 94 drones by the 4th of next month.

According to Wonju City on the 23rd, the support equipment includes drones owned by the Land Management Division, Tax Division, and Forestry Division of Wonju City Hall, as well as equipment operated by the Drone Wildfire Monitoring Team.

The Drone Wildfire Monitoring Team is an organization composed of about 20 members who have their own main jobs and is currently supporting the search.

Won Gang-su, mayor of Wonju City, said, "We will spare no effort to utilize all available resources mobilized by the city to quickly rescue the missing persons."

Up to the 21st, more than 3,500 personnel including fire authorities, volunteer firefighters, soldiers, and police, as well as 736 pieces of equipment such as firefighting helicopters, were deployed for the search in Buron-myeon.

Earlier, on the 9th, an elderly couple engaged in mobile beekeeping went missing after a levee broke due to heavy rainfall exceeding 300mm near farmland by the Seomgang tributary in Norim-ri, Buron-myeon, and they have not been found for 15 days.

Meanwhile, at the search site, donations of bottled water, beverages, bread, fruit, and other supplies have been continuously delivered from 12 organizations and companies.

Song Hee-sook, chairperson of the city public relations committee, said, "We delivered donated goods to help those who are working hard on the search for the missing persons even a little," and added, "We hope the missing persons return to their families as soon as possible."