Minister Sang-min Lee Inspects Cold Wave and Fire Preparedness in Seoul's Ssokbangchon and Panjachon Areas

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min inspected the cold wave and fire preparedness in the jjokbangchon and panjachon areas of Seoul about a month before the Lunar New Year holiday.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 13th, Minister Lee visited the jjokbangchon in Dongja-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to check the boiler replacement and repair work by the Korea Thermal Management Construction Association and the gas leak inspection by the Korea Gas Safety Corporation.

On the same day, the Ministry collaborated with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korea Gas Safety Corporation to replace and repair 15 old boilers in the jjokbangchon and installed 40 carbon monoxide detectors to prevent gas poisoning accidents.

Minister Lee also visited the Guryeong Village panjachon in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where a major fire occurred the day before last year's Lunar New Year holiday, as well as the nearby Gaepo 119 Safety Center, to receive a report on fire response measures and inspect firefighting facilities.

According to the Ministry, Gangnam-gu installed new CCTV cameras that can monitor the entire village after the Guryeong Village fire, enabling 24-hour surveillance of fire incidents. Portable fire extinguishers were distributed to all households in Guryeong Village, and the dispatch office was improved to allow firefighting personnel to be stationed there.

The Ministry plans to operate at least one additional emergency shelter per city, county, or district that can be used at night, on weekends, and holidays during cold wave warnings, in addition to the existing cold wave shelters, to support vulnerable groups.