[Public Voices] Safety Practices, Like Constant Dripping That Wears Away the Stone

K-Wave Expands Influence but Safety Culture Remains Underdeveloped
More Anxiety than Safety in Traffic Accidents, Fires, and Crimes; Immediate Benefits Not Seen but Critical Moments Determine Life or Death

Choi Tae-young, Head of Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters

"To be, or not to be, that is the question." This famous line from Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' is recognized worldwide. Shakespeare, acknowledged as the greatest playwright in history, left behind 38 plays and other works, earning immense pride from the British people. Thanks to Shakespeare, the English language has extended its influence beyond national literature to global culture. Although the British Empire, once the empire on which the sun never set, is now a thing of the past, Shakespeare's works still hold cultural value and continue to promote the United Kingdom.

South Korea also has traditional cultures known worldwide, such as Hangul, Hanbok, and Pansori. Additionally, the Korean Wave (Hallyu), represented by dramas and K-pop, has gained immense popularity globally. Alongside this cultural influence, South Korea is enhancing its status as a strong nation in technology industries like information and communications, automobiles, and defense. However, one area that needs improvement is safety culture. Advanced countries place great importance on civic consciousness and safety culture. According to Statistics Korea's 'Quality of Life 2021,' the overall perception of safety among Koreans is improving. The percentage of people who feel society is safe increased from 13.2% in 2016 to 31.8% in 2020. However, in detailed categories such as traffic accidents, fires, and crimes, responses indicating 'anxiety' outnumbered those indicating 'safety' in six categories.

To improve this safety perception, investment in safety facilities and safety education are crucial. Even if a building is well-equipped with fire detection devices or sprinklers, people may feel anxious and be at actual risk if they do not know emergency evacuation routes or how to use escape equipment in case of fire. In this regard, safety education is not only valued as an important principle but also serves as a key factor in establishing a safety culture in society through continuous interest and practice.

From this perspective, Seoul Fire Department has been steadily promoting safety education to enhance citizens' autonomous response capabilities to various accidents, including fire prevention. Since installing the first safety experience center in Gwangjin District in 2003, Seoul has operated the Boramae Safety Experience Center in Dongjak District since 2010. Plans are underway to expand safety experience centers to the northeastern and northwestern regions of Seoul. Along with these centers, through safety education organizations in 25 fire stations across Seoul, efforts have been made to enable approximately 100,000 citizens annually (as of 2019) to complete safety education.

The Seoul Safety Festival, now in its 16th year since 2007, is another flagship project of the Seoul Fire Department aimed at establishing a safety culture. This event, which has attracted 1.16 million visitors to date, has become the largest safety culture festival in Korea, offering dozens of safety experiences and engaging performances and exhibitions all in one place. This year, from the 22nd of this month, the '2022 Seoul Safety Festival' will be held for three days at Yeouido Park, returning offline after three years. It is hoped that people of all ages, from children to adults, will take this valuable opportunity to learn various safety information and disaster response methods in one place.

Safety often does not yield immediate benefits. However, at critical moments, it can be the most important factor determining life or death, just like Hamlet’s line. Lastly, I ask you to remember the proverb, 'Constant dripping wears away the stone,' emphasizing that interest and practice in safety should be like steady drops of water rather than a sudden downpour.

Choi Tae-young, Head of Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters