Yongsan-gu Forms 'Public-Private Joint Accident Recurrence Prevention TF'... Guro-gu Prepares Safety Measures for Pro Baseball Korean Series

[Seoul District News] Yongsan District Mayor, Related Agency Officials, Private Experts, Professors, and About 20 Council Members Conduct Detailed Inspections Across the Region, Establish and Implement Measures & Actively Propose Revisions to Higher Laws if Necessary ... Guro District Holds Emergency Safety Inspection Countermeasure Meeting on the 3rd, Focuses Crackdown on Illegal Street Vendors and Illegal Parking ... Songpa District Conducts 2022 Songpa Disaster Response Safety Korea Training Jointly by Public and Private Sectors from the 16th to 18th & Operates 'Mind Relief Bus' for Itaewon Tragedy Bereaved Families, Injured, and Witnesses

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (District Mayor Park Hee-young) is forming a "(tentative name) Safety Accident Prevention Improvement Task Force (TF)" to conduct safety inspections and management of places where large crowds gather in the region, such as events and festivals.

This is to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents in the future.

The TF will consist of about 20 members, including public officials from the district office, police, and fire departments, private experts, professors, and district council members, forming a public-private joint team. The district mayor will serve as the head and prepare improvement and promotion plans for key areas.

The main areas include ▲identifying and managing safety blind spots ▲improving safety management systems ▲on-site safety management in densely crowded areas ▲establishing a rapid response system for disaster accidents causing casualties or potential risks ▲expanding education to raise safety awareness.

A district official stated, "We will conduct detailed inspections throughout the region and establish safety measures tailored to local characteristics," adding, "We will prepare a professional and systematic safety management manual."

At the Yongsan-gu level, public officials from safety-related departments such as the Safety Construction and Transportation Bureau and the Urban Management Bureau, responsible for safety in roads, buildings, and traffic, will participate.

If necessary, subcommittees will be formed, and opinions from students, parents, seniors, teachers, and community leaders will be collected by field.

Based on the TF's review results, a basic plan will be prepared, and for items that can be immediately implemented by each agency, detailed policies will be promptly established and promoted. Matters requiring enactment or revision of higher-level laws will be actively proposed to central government ministries and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

First, to investigate the current state of safety management in the region, major densely crowded places will be selected, and a large-scale survey of nearby roads, buildings, traffic signals, CCTV, and other facilities will be conducted to identify deficiencies and improve and supplement them.

District Mayor Park Hee-young said, "We intend to prepare a comprehensive plan to prevent community disaster accidents," and added, "We hope the police and fire departments will actively participate in the TF."

Currently, Yongsan-gu is concentrating administrative efforts on managing the Itaewon accident, ensuring thorough support for victims' daily recovery, including relief funds, funeral expenses, and mental stability.

Guro-gu (District Mayor Moon Heon-il) announced that it held an emergency safety inspection countermeasure meeting at the district office at 4 p.m. on the 3rd.

At the meeting, District Mayor Moon Heon-il and attendees discussed safety measures in preparation for the 3rd and 4th games of the Korean Series professional baseball, held over two days on November 4 and 5 at Gocheok Sky Dome.

Mayor Moon urged, "To prevent safety accidents, safety personnel will be deployed in places where large crowds gather, and thorough preparations will be made in cooperation with related agencies." He also instructed, "Strengthen vehicle control and guidance around the stadium during the Korean Series."

The main safety measures announced by the district include ▲crackdown on illegal street vendors ▲intensive crackdown on illegal parking ▲request to strengthen safety measures at Guil Station ▲strengthening cooperation with related agencies such as the police.

The district will first strengthen crackdowns on illegal street vendors near Exit 2 of Guil Station, where large crowds gather. From two hours before the game starts until one hour after it ends, a crackdown team of 12 members will be deployed to preemptively block illegal vendors. The team will patrol the area during the game, and vendors caught during the crackdown will be immediately removed if they do not comply.

To ensure smooth traffic flow around the stadium, an illegal parking crackdown team will operate from two hours before the game starts until one hour after it ends, until the Korean Series concludes. Considering the shortage of parking spaces at Gocheok Sky Dome, extensive illegal parking crackdowns will be conducted not only near Guil Station but also in the Gocheok food alley and the entire Gocheok-dong area. The crackdown team will patrol the stadium area using mobile CCTV vehicles, crack down on illegally parked vehicles, and immediately take action against vehicles that threaten safety to prevent accidents.

Additionally, a request was made to Korea Railroad Corporation to strengthen safety measures considering congestion at Guil Station.

District Mayor Moon Heon-il said, "As this is a large-scale event attracting many people, I hope everyone will comply with safety rules and pay special attention to safety accidents."

Eunpyeong-gu (District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) announced that residents of Eunpyeong-gu volunteered at the joint memorial altar for the victims of the Itaewon tragedy set up in front of Exit 3 of Eungam Station.

The volunteers formed voluntary teams consisting of 16 heads of resident autonomy committees from each neighborhood in Eunpyeong-gu to share the sorrow caused by the tragedy by participating in the joint memorial altar service. They stayed at the altar, maintained order, provided guidance, and directly welcomed mourners, sharing their heartfelt sympathy.

The volunteer service runs from the 3rd to the 5th, the operation period of the joint memorial altar. Starting with Eungam 1-dong, heads of resident autonomy committees from each neighborhood participate in the service. Lee Kwang-hee, head of the Eungam 1-dong resident autonomy committee, also installed vinyl sheets around the altar tent, placed heaters, and provided beverages for staff working at night.

Memorial processions by religious groups, including Buddhists, have also continued. Starting from Jingwan Temple on the 3rd, memorial processions by Protestant and Catholic religious leaders and workers are scheduled to continue on the 5th.

The joint memorial altar set up in front of Exit 3 of Eungam Station is open to anyone wishing to pay respects and operates daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. until the national mourning period ends on the 5th.

Kim Byung-moo, head of the Jingwan-dong resident autonomy committee, said, "The district office manages and maintains order at the altar, but the residents voluntarily take charge of the resident role and operation," adding, "We started volunteering to share sorrow and join in the memorial spirit with residents visiting the altar."

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, expressed deep gratitude to all residents who volunteered despite the sudden cold weather, saying, "We pray for the repose of those who passed away in the Itaewon tragedy and express deep condolences to the bereaved families."

Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that it will conduct the "2022 Songpa-gu Disaster Response Safe Korea Training" from November 16 to 18 to enhance Songpa-gu's disaster response capabilities in preparation for large-scale disasters such as fires and collapses at performance venues.

Co-hosted by Songpa-gu Office and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, this large-scale disaster response training involves 13 organizations including Songpa Fire Station, Songpa Police Station, and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, along with about 400 personnel from autonomous disaster prevention groups and autonomous crime prevention squads, and over 50 training vehicles.

The district planned the training assuming disaster situations that could occur at large-scale performance venues, reflecting the characteristics of Songpa-gu, which has a large population and many performance halls, at a time when the performance industry is revitalizing after COVID-19.

In particular, on November 16, a scenario of a fire accident caused by a terrorist attack during a K-POP performance will be simulated at the KSPO Dome located in Olympic Park, with on-site focused training involving civilian, government, military, police, and fire departments.

At 10 a.m., a "Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Operation Training" will be held at Songpa-gu Office, where departments and agencies will review their response roles and conduct discussions. At 2 p.m., on-site response training including "fire suppression and life rescue," "integrated support headquarters," and "on-site emergency medical center operation" will be conducted at the KSPO Dome with 13 related organizations.

Additionally, on the 17th, "civilian multi-use facility evacuation drills" based on national action guidelines will be held at three locations including Raemian Gallery, and on the 18th, a "function continuity training" will be conducted to prepare for the continuation of core district office tasks without interruption in case of disaster.

Mayor Seo Gang-seok said, "By conducting on-site training assuming real situations, we will thoroughly prepare for various disasters that can occur anytime and anywhere and do our best to ensure the safety of residents," adding, "We will carry out meticulous administration that continuously inspects safety in all fields to prevent urban disasters from happening again."

Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) will operate the "Mind Relief Bus," supported by the National Trauma Center, for residents suffering mental and psychological distress due to the Itaewon tragedy.

The bus will operate in front of the Integrated Job Support Center near the district office until November 5.

Residents experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, and other issues related to the tragedy can receive psychological evaluation and counseling from mental health professionals.

The Mind Relief Bus is equipped with self-management kits, stress diagnostic devices, self-assessment via tablets, virtual reality healing devices, portable massagers, and vehicle disinfection supplies.

It provides customized mental health services based on individual psychological states, including stress level evaluation through heart rate variability measurement.

Based on screening and counseling results, mild cases will be guided to mental health services and return to daily life, while those needing additional support will be registered at the Songpa-gu Mental Health Welfare Center for face-to-face counseling and linkage to medical institutions as needed for follow-up care.

For those preferring non-face-to-face counseling, a nationwide common number "Mental Health Counseling Phone" offers basic counseling and connects individuals requiring professional intervention to local mental health welfare centers, suicide crisis counseling, mental health counseling and support for depression and anxiety, and information and guidance on mental health and medical institutions.

A Songpa-gu official said, "We pray for the repose of the victims of the Itaewon accident and offer condolences to the bereaved families. Psychological trauma requires professional counseling," adding, "We will do our best to support residents suffering emotional difficulties due to psychological shock."

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, Seoul (right), attended the '2040 Workplace Mental Health Friendly Company Certification Ceremony' held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, the 3rd, at the auditorium on the B1 floor of Magok LG Science Park W5, and presented the certification plaque to Park Pyeong-gu, Executive Director of LG Electronics Safety and Environment Group.

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, visited LG Science Park located in Magok District at 10:30 a.m. on the 3rd to present the "Mind Health Friendly Company Certification Plaque."

The district is promoting the nation's first "2040 Office Worker Stress Relief, Mind Stability, Daily Recovery Project" by visiting companies in the region in cooperation with the Gangseo-gu Mental Health Welfare Center (Director Song Hyun-chul).

This is to actively support office workers whose mental health has been compromised due to various reasons such as depression, stress, and trauma from prolonged COVID-19.

The certification plaque presentation ceremony was held at the W5 Auditorium of LG Science Park, attended by Mayor Kim, Park Pyung-gu (Executive Director of LG Safety and Environment Group), Song Hyun-chul (Director of Gangseo-gu Mental Health Welfare Center), Oh Young-wook (Director of Gangseo-gu Health Center), Lee Doo-ri (Gangseo-gu Policy Advisor), and Song Seung-hwan (Gangseo-gu Public Relations Officer).

Beyond workplace mental health checkups, the district provides ▲age-specific customized prescription kits ▲hospital counseling linkage ▲treatment cost support for daily recovery to help office workers regain psychological stability.

LG Science Park, selected as the first "Mind Health Friendly Company," agreed to further activate the workplace psychological counseling room and actively cooperate on overall matters for operating the "Smile Project."

Mayor Kim Tae-woo expressed deep gratitude to LG Science Park for actively cooperating to help office workers, who tend to neglect mental health management, recover their mental health and for early detection and treatment of high-risk groups.

He added, "We will make multifaceted efforts to support the mental health recovery and daily life of not only office workers but also young people suffering from trauma and local residents struggling with various stresses."

Meanwhile, the district plans to gradually expand the target of the "2040 Smile Project" to small-scale companies within the region.