[Itaewon Disaster] One Casualty Confirmed Among Dongjak Residents... Emergency Duty System Starts from the 30th

[Seoul District News] Dongjak-gu Cancels or Reduces All Events, Plans Active Support for Accident Recovery ... Seongdong-gu Sets Up Seongdong-gu Memorial Altar on 31st for Itaewon Tragedy, Deploys Dedicated Staff for Active Support ... Seocho-gu Strengthens Safety Accident Prevention by Visiting Local Clubs and Hygiene Businesses with District Sanitation Department and 18 Dong Chiefs to Prevent Similar Accidents

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Park Il-ha) has been maintaining an emergency work system since the morning of the 30th to fully focus on managing the large-scale casualty incident that occurred during the Halloween event around Itaewon on the 29th.

The district sent safety guidance text messages requesting residents to contact the Dasan Call Center or Hannam-dong Community Center in case of missing persons or casualties among residents.

So far, one casualty among Dongjak-gu residents has been confirmed, and the district plans to make every effort to identify any additional damage and manage the incident.

The district office, community centers, health centers, and affiliated organizations have flown flags at half-mast, and from the 31st, a memorial altar for the Itaewon incident will be operated in the Dongjak-gu Office parking lot.

The district canceled or scaled down all scheduled festivals and events during the national mourning period (until midnight on November 5) and took measures to establish thorough safety plans for events.

Mayor Park Il-ha of Dongjak-gu said, “We express our deepest condolences and sympathy to the victims and bereaved families of Itaewon,” adding, “We will spare no effort in all measures and support that can be provided at the district level regarding this incident.”

He also emphasized, “To prevent similar accidents from recurring, we will review safety management plans for all events held in the district and establish detailed response manuals to ensure the safety of residents.”

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that it held an emergency expanded executive meeting at 8:30 a.m. on the 31st regarding the Itaewon tragedy.

Mayor Jung Won-oh instructed a review of the cancellation or postponement of all festivals scheduled for the 30th. Accordingly, Seongdong-gu canceled or indefinitely postponed most scheduled festivals and events involving unspecified large numbers of participants and completed flying flags at half-mast in the district office and all 17 neighborhoods.

They also requested cancellation or postponement of privately organized events, leading to the complete suspension of the ‘Hanwoo Charcoal Grill Festival’ hosted by the National Hanwoo Association, which was scheduled to be held at Salgotgi Park until November 1.

Additionally, the district swiftly assessed whether any Seongdong-gu residents were affected and reviewed support measures for incident management.

The emergency meeting held on the morning of the 31st began with all department heads and neighborhood chiefs expressing condolences for the Itaewon victims. They then discussed various departmental countermeasures related to the Itaewon tragedy and accident prevention.

First, with the cancellation or indefinite postponement of nine district-hosted festival events, the ‘Seongdong Design Week’ starting November 3 and the ‘Pet Festival’ scheduled for November 5 will be fully canceled.

Also, due to casualties among Seongdong-gu residents, the district plans to assign dedicated officials and utilize the sharing network to provide immediate support. A joint memorial altar will be set up on the 31st and operated until November 5, the national mourning period.

Mayor Jung Won-oh of Seongdong-gu expressed, “We deeply mourn the unfortunate victims and emphasize that the Itaewon tragedy is a tragedy that must never happen again,” adding, “Above all, residents’ lives and safety are most precious, and Seongdong-gu will mobilize all resources to actively support the management of the Itaewon incident.”

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) decided to strengthen on-site inspections and safety measures in the region related to the Itaewon tragedy that occurred on the 30th.

Mayor Jeon Seong-su presided over an ‘Emergency Countermeasure Meeting of Directors’ related to the Itaewon incident at the Seocho-gu Office Disaster Situation Room on the morning of the same day, urging, “Please raise safety management of facilities and events in the region to a level above normal to prevent safety accidents.”

Mayor Jeon expressed, “We extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to the victims and their families affected by this incident,” and said, “Seocho-gu will actively cooperate with the government and Seoul Metropolitan Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to focus all administrative power on quick recovery and follow-up measures.”

Accordingly, the district’s sanitation department and the chiefs of 18 neighborhoods are visiting clubs and hygiene businesses in the area to strengthen safety accident prevention activities. Special attention is being paid to multi-use facilities where many people gather, such as around Gangnam Station, Sinsa Station, and Sadang Station.

Additionally, some local events scheduled during the national mourning period have been postponed or canceled.

Following the government’s ‘half-mast flag policy,’ all public institutions including neighborhood community centers in the area have flown flags at half-mast.

Furthermore, a text message was sent to residents requesting restraint from participating in various Halloween festival events during the mourning period and providing guidance to report any emergency situations to the district’s comprehensive situation room.

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) convened an emergency meeting attended by district executives on the morning of the 30th regarding the Itaewon Halloween tragedy that occurred on the 29th. At the meeting, Mayor Lee Seong-heon checked the status of patient transfers in local hospitals and emphasized active measures to prevent accidents, including canceling upcoming event schedules.

The district first canceled events scheduled for this week, such as the ‘Ansan Walking Festival for Autumn’ and the ‘Staff Unity Workshop.’ They plan to comprehensively review risks of accidents and establish safety measures. They will also devote more attention to safety inspections for future events.

The district will also work to raise residents’ safety awareness by sending information about various disaster situations and safety measures through social media platforms such as blogs and Twitter.

Additionally, the district is considering installing a memorial altar during the national mourning period for the victims of this tragedy.

To discuss detailed support for incident management, the district held a second countermeasure meeting at 2 p.m. on the same day.

Mayor Lee Seong-heon said, “I am deeply saddened by this tragedy,” and added, “We will actively support incident management and prioritize safety in all events to prevent such tragedies from recurring.”

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) held an emergency meeting regarding the Itaewon Halloween event accident that occurred on the 29th.

Mayor Lee Pil-hyung and district executives discussed canceling and postponing local events following the declaration of the national mourning period, conducting safety inspections of private events and dangerous local areas, and supporting victims related to the incident.

First, the district canceled the Jegi-dong Village Festival scheduled for the 30th.

They are also swiftly identifying ways to support any Dongdaemun-gu residents among the victims. Furthermore, the Dongdaemun-gu Health and Welfare Center plans to provide mental health counseling related to this incident.

Mayor Lee Pil-hyung expressed, “We deeply mourn the victims of the Itaewon Halloween event accident that occurred on the night of the 29th and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” adding, “Dongdaemun-gu will closely cooperate with related organizations to do its best to promptly manage this incident, review upcoming events, and conduct more thorough safety inspections in densely populated areas.”

Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) held an emergency countermeasure meeting at 1 p.m. on the 30th in the Renaissance Hall of the district office, presided over by Mayor Moon Heon-il.

Mayor Moon Heon-il, department heads, and event-related officials shared information related to the Itaewon tragedy and discussed local event schedules and plans to strengthen safety measures.

The district decided to cancel or postpone festivals and major events scheduled until November 5, the national mourning period, and ordered flags at half-mast at the district office, community centers, health centers, and affiliated organizations.

Mayor Moon Heon-il said, “We express our deepest condolences and sympathy to the victims and bereaved families of Itaewon,” and added, “We will cooperate closely with related organizations to do our utmost to promptly manage this incident until it is resolved.”

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Tae-woo) held an ‘Emergency Countermeasure Meeting related to the Itaewon Incident’ in the district office’s large conference room on the 30th and began preparing comprehensive measures to support the management of the Itaewon tragedy.

The meeting was attended by Mayor Kim Tae-woo and related department heads and officials.

Earlier, Mayor Kim arrived at work around 5:50 a.m. and issued first and second emergency instructions regarding ‘Assessing damage to Gangseo-gu residents’ and ‘Preparing support measures for casualties,’ followed by presiding over the third emergency countermeasure meeting.

Mayor Kim said, “A tragic event that should never have happened occurred. I am deeply saddened,” and expressed condolences to the victims and sympathy to the bereaved families of the Itaewon tragedy.

He especially instructed, “We must mobilize all administrative power to quickly identify the identities of the casualties,” and “Urgently assess any possible damage among Gangseo-gu residents and prepare all necessary administrative and financial support measures for relief without any gaps.”

The district is focusing on identifying casualties among residents and preparing support measures for bereaved families, while establishing close cooperation with related organizations such as the police and fire department to monitor resident damage status in real time.

They are also working with local medical institutions and funeral homes to prepare multifaceted support measures for medical assistance, funeral procedures for the deceased, and support for bereaved families and the injured.

In line with the government’s designation of the national mourning period, the district flew flags at half-mast and required all employees to wear mourning ribbons, and set up a joint memorial altar in front of the district office. Additionally, all local events and festivals will be completely banned for the time being.

In particular, the district plans to establish safety accident prevention and similar case prevention measures to ensure that tragic situations like the Itaewon tragedy never happen again.

Furthermore, the district will closely cooperate with the Seoul Metropolitan Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to monitor casualty status in real time and continue holding countermeasure meetings.

Mayor Kim said, “With a very heavy heart, I extend my deepest condolences and sympathy to the victims and bereaved families,” adding, “To prevent tragedies like the Itaewon incident from recurring, we will re-inspect slopes, aging facilities, and multi-use facilities in the region to ensure thorough accident prevention.”

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Ki-jae) announced that it has set up a joint memorial altar on the first floor of the district office to mourn the victims of the Itaewon incident, allowing condolences from 10 a.m. on the 31st.

Regarding the Itaewon incident, the district office mayor and key department heads engaged in emergency duty on the 30th morning and discussed measures such as resident damage status, safety measures, and support plans.

During the mourning period, the district canceled or postponed all festival events hosted by the district office and flew flags at half-mast at the district office and neighborhood community centers. They also quickly prepared a space for bereaved families inside Ewha Mokdong Hospital, a local medical institution. Furthermore, they plan to establish strict work discipline along with all employees wearing mourning ribbons.

Mayor Lee Ki-jae plans to convene an emergency meeting on the morning of the 31st with key executives, the head of the Safety and Disaster Department, and the head of the Welfare Policy Department to discuss support measures for residents such as medical expenses and psychological treatment, as well as safety measures.

Mayor Lee Ki-jae of Yangcheon-gu said, “We express our deepest condolences and sympathy to the victims and bereaved families of the Itaewon incident,” adding, “We will focus administrative power on preparing measures to protect residents’ safety so that such a tragic incident never happens again.”

Jongno-gu (Mayor Jeong Moon-heon) held a ‘Disaster Accident Response Safety Countermeasure Meeting’ at 9 a.m. on the 31st in the district office’s Planning Situation Room and will operate a joint memorial altar at Bukinsa Madang from 10 a.m. to mourn the deceased of the Itaewon tragedy.

At the meeting, Mayor Jeong Moon-heon and all executives above grade 5 in Jongno-gu discussed identifying affected residents and future countermeasures.

Mayor Jeong emphasized, “Since Jongno has many popular spots frequented by citizens and tourists, responsible personnel must frequently inspect the sites and establish thorough safety management plans in advance.”

Additionally, Jongno-gu will conduct a two-week Disaster Response Safety Korea Training from November 14 to 25 to check disaster response, recovery, and restoration systems in preparation for various disaster accidents.

They will also verify compliance with safety obligations for major industrial accident subjects in the region and closely inspect the safety status of bridges, tunnels, underground stations, and complex buildings subject to major citizen disaster regulations.

Meanwhile, Jongno-gu previously sent disaster safety text messages to guide missing person reports and decided to cancel or postpone all district office-related events held until November 6, which falls within the national mourning period.

Mayor Jeong Moon-heon said, “We will closely cooperate with Seoul City and related departments and spare no support for incident management,” adding, “We will thoroughly prepare for safety accidents to ensure no resident damage occurs, not only during the World Cup period but also in the upcoming severe cold season.”