'Risk of Rapid Slope Failure During Thawing Season'... Gangwon-do and Government Conduct Reality Check

Gangwon-do Plans Safety Management for Over 1,900 Steep Slopes in the Province
Han Chang-seop, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Visits Chuncheon Seomyeon to Inspect Safety Measures

[Asia Economy Reporter La Young-cheol] With the arrival of the thawing season, Gangwon Province has begun safety inspections of government and steep slopes.

Gangwon Province announced on the 19th that "Kim Myung-seon, Deputy Governor of Gangwon Province, and Han Chang-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, visited a steep slope site in Seomyeon, Chuncheon City, to inspect the collapse risk area maintenance projects and the operation status of the early warning system."

Han Chang-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (wearing a green top), visited the steep slope site on Local Road 403 in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on the 19th to inspect the safety measures for preventing accidents such as slope collapse and falling rocks that may occur during the thawing season.
[Photo by Gangwon Province]

Deputy Governor Kim stated that a safety management plan for about 1,900 steep slope sites within the province will be established by mid-April, and requested government funding support for the early resolution of disaster risk factors.

Vice Minister Han emphasized, "It is important to utilize advanced technology for disaster prevention and cause analysis at the early warning observation system construction sites," and urged, "Please maintain continuous interest and caution from related parties to prevent inconvenience to residents and deterioration of trust caused by malfunctions of the safety management system."

According to the province, there are 3,093 steep slope management areas in Gangwon Province, accounting for about 15.4% of the nationwide total. Among these, 329 steep slopes near houses, apartments, and roads where human casualties are predicted will be the focus of inspections.

The province will conduct safety management inspections of local steep slopes divided into the thawing season (February 14 to April 15) and the rainy season (May 15 to October 15).

The main inspection items include establishing city and county situation management systems, operating joint inspection teams involving private experts, and checking for cracks, subsidence, heaving, and rockfalls in areas where human casualties are a concern.

The inspection teams will immediately address minor issues on-site, and for abnormal signs such as rockfalls, leaks, or cracks, emergency measures or detailed safety diagnoses will be conducted on-site, followed by repair and reinforcement plans.