Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly Member Choi Byung-jun Proposes Ordinance to Support Safety Assurance for Vulnerable Groups in Accidents

Scheduled for plenary session approval on the 22nd

"Protect Children and the Elderly First"

On the 12th, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council announced that Assemblyman Choi Byung-jun (People Power Party·Gyeongju) has taken the lead in proposing the "Gyeongsangbuk-do Safety Environment Support Ordinance for Safety Vulnerable Groups," which includes support for safety environments targeting safety vulnerable groups within Gyeongbuk Province.

This ordinance was proposed to establish an institutional foundation that can ensure the safety of vulnerable groups from disasters and various accidents, thereby contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of the residents.

The ordinance first defines the scope of support targets for safety vulnerable groups as children under 13 years old, elderly people over 65, persons with disabilities, basic livelihood security recipients, and lower-income groups.

Choi Byung-jun, Member of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly

Additionally, the scope of safety environment support for safety vulnerable groups mainly includes safety inspections and improvements of fire, gas, and electrical facilities; improvement of safety environments in vulnerable areas such as child protection zones; provision of necessary safety equipment and supplies to prevent disasters and accidents; and provision of supplies such as masks to prevent damage from infectious diseases and fine dust.

According to data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2021, Gyeongbuk Province recorded damage amounting to 577 billion KRW due to natural disasters over the past 10 years (2012?2021), ranking second among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces based on the respective years. Social disasters such as forest fire disasters also occurred 17 times in Gyeongbuk over the past 10 years (2012?2021), ranking third nationwide.

Furthermore, road traffic accidents and fire accidents in Gyeongbuk totaled 16,644 cases in 2021 alone, showing the third highest accident rate after Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

Safety vulnerable groups such as the elderly and persons with disabilities are more susceptible to continuously occurring disasters and various accidents due to physical, social, and economic factors. This ordinance is expected to provide practical help to residents by preventing significant damage in advance.

Assemblyman Choi Byung-jun of Gyeongbuk Province said, “There have been many times when the safety of residents was threatened by earthquakes, large-scale forest fires, COVID-19, and other incidents, and securing the safety of vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children in these situations is absolutely important.” He added, “Through this ordinance, we expect to protect safety vulnerable groups from unexpected major damage and establish a safer environment.”

This ordinance has already undergone review by the Construction and Fire Committee and will be finally approved at the plenary session scheduled for the 22nd.