[Seoul District News] Jung-gu Deploys Safety Personnel in Myeongdong During Peak Year-End Crowds to Ensure Safe Passage ▲ Special Task Force Formed to Crack Down on Illegal Obstructions and Advertisements ▲ Myeongdong Street Vendors to Close on 24th, Reduce Operations on 31st, and Form 'Self-Maintenance Team' for Joint Patrols ... Gwangjin-gu Cancels ‘2023 Achasan Sunrise Event’ and Strengthens Safety Patrols to Prevent Crowd Accidents and COVID Spread ... Mapo-gu Enhances Safety Measures in Hongdae Area from 23rd to 31st for Christmas and Year-End
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-sung) is deploying all available resources to ensure safety in preparation for the year-end and New Year’s crowds in the Myeongdong area.
Especially during the expected peak crowd times (December 23?25 from 6 PM to 10 PM, December 31 from 8 PM to midnight, and January 1 from 6 AM to 10 AM), 40 district office staff per day, totaling 184 employees, will be assigned to monitor crowd density, control vehicle traffic, and guide pedestrian routes. Crowd control will also be enforced around Namsan Palgakjeong to manage visitors for the first sunrise of the new year.
A special maintenance team will be formed to crack down on illegal obstructions such as unauthorized piled items and advertisements blocking pedestrian paths in Myeongdong streets. Seventy-two enforcement officers will work jointly with the police for three days starting December 23 to remove obstructions and crack down on illegal temporary street vendors.
Preparations are also underway for the New Year’s Eve bell-ringing event. The Myeongdong Welfare Association (Myeongdong Street Vendor Union) will organize a voluntary maintenance team to conduct joint patrols with on-site enforcement officers to check for any elements that threaten pedestrian safety.
From December through January, a special safety situation room will be established to prepare for the dense crowds in Myeongdong, focusing all efforts on safety. The integrated control center’s CCTV will be closely monitored, and regular safety broadcasts will be conducted in both Korean and English.
Myeongdong street vendors are also gaining attention for their participation in securing safe pedestrian paths. After discussions with 362 registered street vendors, Jung-gu agreed on a full closure on December 24 and reduced operations on December 31. The scale of reduced operations on the 31st will be decided based on crowd density analysis on the 24th.
Meanwhile, since starting patrols and inspections of crowded areas in Myeongdong on November 8, the district has been working tirelessly to prevent safety accidents during the year-end and New Year period. On November 28, a countermeasure meeting was held with related agencies including police and fire departments.
From then until the end of November, special patrols for order maintenance were conducted daily from 6 PM to 10 PM. Inspections were carried out every evening not only in Myeongdong but also around Shinsegae Department Store, Euljiro Nogari Alley, and Dongdaemun DDP to identify potential hazards.
Jung-gu Mayor Kim Gil-sung said, “Year-end and New Year events, which were suspended due to COVID-19, are resuming after three years, raising great expectations for welcoming the new year. Jung-gu will mobilize all human and material resources to ensure safe passage in crowded areas so that everyone can fully enjoy the excitement of the new year.”
◆Jung-gu
Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) has canceled the ‘2023 Achasan Sunrise Event’ that was scheduled for January 1, 2023.
Achasan, famous for being the first place in Seoul where the sun rises, is a popular destination on New Year’s Day for visitors who come to watch the sunrise and pray for their wishes for the year. The district has held a sunrise event at Achasan Sunrise Park every January 1 with visitors.
However, the event was not held for the past two years to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This year, considering the possibility of safety accidents due to crowding in the limited space and the current increasing trend of COVID-19 cases, the district decided not to hold events such as Nanta and vocal performances, traditional drum performances, or rice cake soup sharing.
Instead, lanterns, LED “Gate of Hope,” and rabbit sculptures symbolizing the Year of the Rabbit will be installed along the Achasan hiking trails and Eoullim Plaza to provide visual attractions for visitors.
The district will mobilize all personnel and administrative resources previously required for event preparation and operation to strengthen safety guard activities and thoroughly conduct pre-inspections and safety management according to the safety management plan.
On December 7, 13, and 21, three safety countermeasure meetings were held to prepare for visitor safety and prevent accidents in crowded areas. The district closely coordinated with related agencies such as the fire station and police station on ▲intensive CCTV monitoring ▲efficient deployment of safety personnel and police riot squads ▲installation of emergency ropes.
Based on this, an on-site response system will be maintained on January 1. The district will deploy more safety personnel than before in areas expected to have dense crowds such as ▲Sunrise Park ▲rocky sections of the main hiking trails of Achasan ▲steep slopes around Goguryeojeong to maintain order among visitors, disperse hikers, and prevent bottlenecks and falls.
Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Kyung-ho said, “The safety of residents and visitors is our top priority. We will do our utmost to ensure that everyone visiting Achasan can start the hopeful Year of the Rabbit safely and happily.”
Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Kang-soo) plans to strengthen safety inspections once again in the Hongdae Tourism Special Zone, where large crowds are expected during Christmas and the year-end period.
This safety inspection will be conducted as a public-private joint effort involving local residents, the Hongdae Merchants Association, and Mapo-gu under the declaration of ‘Safe Mapo with Residents.’
The inspection will focus on ▲the ‘Safe Mapo with Residents’ declaration campaign ▲strengthening CCTV monitoring in crowded areas such as Hongdae Street ▲on-site inspections of crowded areas and prompt response according to safety manuals in case of emergencies.
The inspection period is eight days from December 23 to 31, excluding December 25, during the peak crowd hours from 7 PM to 11 PM daily.
A total of 800 personnel will participate, with about 100 people conducting special safety inspections each day during the period. Notably, to realize ‘Safe Mapo with Residents,’ autonomous crime prevention volunteers and honorary tourism security officers composed of residents from 16 neighborhoods in Mapo-gu will join the efforts.
Regardless of event organizers, the district plans to systematically respond in stages according to the ‘Crowd Management Response Manual for Multi-Dense Areas’ based on crowd density situations.
First, the district has established a focused CCTV monitoring system for expected high-density crowd areas in Hongdae. This will allow real-time assessment of crowd density and accident situations, and in case of emergencies, rapid communication to police, fire departments, the district’s integrated control room, and special inspection teams.
During nighttime, focused safety inspections and order maintenance campaigns will be conducted in alleys, slopes, and other potentially dangerous crowded spots. For efficient situation awareness and order maintenance, six major overcrowded areas including Hongdae Entrance Station exits 8 and 9 and Hongdae Festival Street will be selected for enhanced safety patrols and CCTV monitoring.
If dangerous situations arise due to crowding in major areas, order maintenance personnel will immediately control the scene, block further crowd inflow, and quickly guide detours to disperse the crowd.
In particular, in case of emergencies, the district will first implement staged response measures according to the ‘Crowd Management Response Manual for Multi-Dense Areas’ and cooperate with Mapo Police Station and Mapo Fire Station for joint efforts to prevent accident escalation.
Mapo-gu Mayor Park Kang-soo said, “During the recent college entrance exam day and the Qatar World Cup period, detailed inspections and checks in the Hongdae Tourism Special Zone helped protect residents’ daily lives. Mapo-gu will do its best to create a ‘safe society where daily life is guaranteed’ so that everyone can safely return home after their planned day.”
Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) is conducting safety inspections of elderly welfare facilities until January 13 next year to prevent natural disasters such as cold waves and heavy snowfalls and various safety accidents during the winter season.
This inspection is conducted twice a year in accordance with the Social Welfare Services Act to ensure the safety of facility users and workers.
The inspection targets a total of 34 elderly welfare facilities in the district, including ▲senior leisure welfare facilities ▲nursing homes for the elderly ▲group homes for elderly care ▲day and night care centers. Facility heads conduct self-inspections and report results, after which district officials select facilities with deficiencies for on-site inspections.
Main inspection items include ▲whether safety management plans are established and safety education and training are conducted ▲evacuation plans for emergencies such as fires ▲safety management of fire, electricity, gas, and facilities ▲food hygiene safety management ▲infectious disease control measures ▲status of fall and slip accident prevention.
Especially with the onset of severe cold waves, special attention is given to verifying measures against facility pipe freezing, safety education on heater use, and availability of snow removal equipment for heavy snowfall.
Based on inspection results, simple issues will be corrected immediately on-site, and for matters requiring facility improvements or repairs, operators will be guided to manage them directly.
If measures are difficult due to time or cost constraints, the district will actively encourage applying for functional reinforcement projects.
Meanwhile, by December 16, the district completed winter safety inspections of 168 senior centers. Local community center staff visited sites directly to check overall facility conditions including fire, electricity, gas, and facility management, and will promptly address any deficiencies.
Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Choi Ho-kwon said, “We will continuously manage and recheck any issues found during inspections. We will pay special attention to preventing various accidents so that seniors can use elderly welfare facilities safely and comfortably.”
On the 20th, Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) conducted safety education at the Gwangjin-gu Office auditorium for the Gwangjin-gu Regional Autonomous Disaster Prevention Corps and the 3rd Safety Security Officers.
This training was prepared to help strengthen the capabilities of the Autonomous Disaster Prevention Corps and Safety Security Officers, which were launched based on the importance of safety.
About 160 people participated, including Mayor Kim Kyung-ho, district council members, 151 members of the Autonomous Disaster Prevention Corps, and 11 Safety Security Officers. The session covered ▲the activity directions and roles of the Regional Autonomous Disaster Prevention Corps and Safety Security Officers ▲prevention, response, and recovery activities by disaster type through case studies ▲safety measures and precautions during disaster activities.
Before the training, appointment certificates for new leaders, appreciation plaques for outgoing leaders, and commendations for exemplary members of the Autonomous Disaster Prevention Corps and Safety Security Officers were presented to encourage active participation.
Mayor Kim said, “Our Autonomous Disaster Prevention Corps in Jayang 2-dong won the ‘2022 Seoul Citizens’ Autonomous Cleaning Organization Excellence Award.’ Protecting the safety and lives of residents is the first priority for Gwangjin-gu, and I express my respect and gratitude to everyone who has always stood by us as partners in this work.”
The ‘Regional Autonomous Disaster Prevention Corps,’ launched in 2009, consists of 363 members including local residents and organizations from 15 neighborhoods who volunteer. They engage in activities such as ▲inspecting hazardous facilities in preparation for summer typhoons and monsoons ▲COVID-19 disinfection ▲participation in crowd safety accident prevention campaigns, covering all areas of disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery to ensure community safety.
The ‘3rd Safety Security Officers,’ established in 2018 with 47 members, aim to spread a safety culture by discovering and improving local hazards. They have participated in COVID-19 social distancing campaigns and mainly work to eradicate unsafe practices in daily life by reporting safety hazards through the Safety Report app.
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