Changwon Special City, Focus on 'Livelihood Stability and Citizen Safety' During Lunar New Year Holiday

Preparing for Various Emergencies through Integrated Situation Room Operation

Prioritizing Minimizing Inconvenience for Citizens and Returning Visitors and Stabilizing Prices

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Song Jong-gu] Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam Province has decided to focus its administrative efforts on stabilizing citizens' livelihoods and safety during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

Changwon Special City will implement a 'Comprehensive Lunar New Year Holiday Plan' for 9 days from the 16th until the end of the holiday on the 24th, emphasizing citizen safety and livelihood stability.

Changwon Special City Hall, Gyeongnam.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

The city has established detailed plans across seven key areas: ▲Maintaining the COVID-19 response system ▲Citizen safety ▲Resident convenience ▲Stabilizing prices for low-income households ▲Resolving traffic inconveniences ▲Sharing with marginalized neighbors ▲Establishing public service discipline. The goal is to minimize daily life inconveniences during the holiday and reduce the livelihood burdens on citizens facing ongoing high inflation and high interest rates into the new year.

In particular, the city will operate a 'Comprehensive Lunar New Year Holiday Situation Room' for four days starting from the first day of the holiday on the 21st to respond to various unexpected situations such as citizen inconveniences and safety accidents that may occur during the holiday.

First, the city will organize disaster comprehensive situation rooms by sector and enter an emergency duty system. In case of emergencies such as winter natural disasters, wildfires, and fires, the city will promptly respond to the initial scene and maintain close cooperation with related organizations to focus administrative efforts on real-time situation management and emergency situation dissemination.

In preparation for the anticipated resurgence of COVID-19 ahead of the first Lunar New Year holiday without social distancing, the city will operate COVID-19 screening clinics and designate hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies open for general patients to prevent gaps in medical care.

The city will also make every effort to enhance resident convenience to avoid any discomfort in daily life. Household waste will be collected normally on the 21st and 24th, and a household waste collection task force will be operated to prevent waste accumulation and illegal dumping, providing a clean environment in case of cleaning service gaps.

Additionally, to provide convenience to visitors using funeral facilities during the holiday, the city will implement a 'Lunar New Year Holiday Funeral Facility Operation Plan.' During the holiday, the municipal columbarium (Sangbok Park 1st and 2nd Columbarium, Masan Yeongsaengwon, Jinhae Cheonjawon) will be open for extended hours from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Temporary parking lots will be operated (300 spaces at Sangbok Park, 1,000 spaces at Changwon Park Cemetery, 700 spaces at Cheonjabong Park Cemetery) to support visitors to the funeral facilities.

Furthermore, the city will maintain stable gas supply by implementing a rotation system for LPG sales outlets and will organize a comprehensive water supply situation room and mobile repair teams to thoroughly manage and supervise uninterrupted tap water supply during the holiday.

To promote consumption at traditional markets, the city will raise the 'Onnuri Gift Certificate Individual Purchase Limit' (paper type 700,000 KRW, card type 1,000,000 KRW, mobile 1,000,000 KRW). As a support measure for small business owners, the city plans to issue 15 billion KRW worth of Changwon Love Gift Certificates Nubi-jeon, support small-scale business environment improvements, and implement digital infrastructure support projects to revitalize the local economy.

Moreover, to ensure that returning visitors and citizens can use public transportation safely and conveniently during the Lunar New Year, the city will flexibly increase bus operation frequencies at Changwon General Terminal and Masan Express Bus Terminal according to demand.

The city will also take the lead in creating a warm holiday atmosphere by sharing kindness during the Lunar New Year. Gifts will be delivered to a total of 1,301 social welfare facilities, and consolation payments will be provided to 44,458 low-income marginalized individuals.

Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, said, “Ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, we have preemptively inspected potential issues in various fields such as safety, welfare, and economy and prepared tailored measures for each sector. We will do our best to implement the comprehensive plan thoroughly so that citizens can have a safe and peaceful Lunar New Year holiday.”