"Just in Case on Jeongwol Daeboreum" Korea Forest Service Issues 'Caution' Wildfire Disaster Alert

The Jeongwol Daeboreum Daljip Burning event is being held at Namsan Hanok Village in Jung-gu, Seoul, to celebrate Jeongwol Daeboreum. The photo is unrelated to the article. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Ahead of Jeongwol Daeboreum (the 15th day of the first lunar month) on the 5th, the forestry authorities have raised the wildfire disaster alert level. This is to prevent wildfires that may occur during traditional folk games such as burning the Daljip (moon house).

The Korea Forest Service announced on the 3rd at 1 p.m. that it would upgrade the national wildfire disaster crisis alert nationwide from ‘Interest’ to ‘Caution’.

The ‘Caution’ crisis alert level will be maintained from that day until 8 p.m. on the 6th.

During this period, the Korea Forest Service will establish and operate wildfire prevention task forces at more than 300 institutions nationwide. In addition, responsible officials will be assigned for each event site, and about 22,000 wildfire prevention personnel will be deployed on-site to strengthen wildfire monitoring and control.

Monitoring personnel will be intensively deployed in areas and time periods with high wildfire risk. The Korea Forest Service explained that advanced information and communication technology (ICT) equipment such as drones will be used to ensure that no blind spots occur in monitoring.

In particular, burning activities within 100 meters of forest-adjacent areas, which had been exceptionally allowed until now, will be completely banned. Violations will be strictly punished under a zero-tolerance policy.

Meanwhile, over the past 10 years, an average of seven wildfires have occurred during the Jeongwol Daeboreum period, destroying 44 hectares of forest. Last year, five wildfires occurred around Jeongwol Daeboreum, destroying 417 hectares of forest.

Kim Man-ju, head of the Wildfire Prevention Division at the Korea Forest Service, said, “We ask for the public’s cooperation and attention to prevent wildfires from occurring around Jeongwol Daeboreum.”