Proposal for Upgrading the Observatory Weather Station and Establishing Naeyeonsan Weather Observation Station
Mayor Lee Strengthens Communication and Cooperation with the Korea Meteorological Administration for Citizen Safety
Mayor Lee Gang-deok of Pohang met with Yoo Hee-dong, the head of the Korea Meteorological Administration, at the External Cooperation Office of City Hall on the 3rd to discuss local issues related to disaster preparedness and to request active cooperation.
On the 3rd, Mayor Lee Gang-deok explained the comprehensive safety city promotion plan of Pohang City to Yoo Hee-dong, the head of the Korea Meteorological Administration, at the City Hall External Cooperation Office, and proposed local pending projects.
On this day, Mayor Lee urged Yoo Hee-dong, head of the Korea Meteorological Administration, saying, “For the safety of citizens, it is crucial to have advance predictions of the rainy season, typhoons, and extreme heavy rains,” and requested, “Please actively consider upgrading the Pohang Observation Station to a meteorological office and establishing a new Nayeonsan Meteorological Observation Station.”
The Jukjang area of Pohang suffered severe damage from Typhoon Omais in 2021, with concentrated heavy rainfall of 40 to 50 mm per hour causing flooding of houses, road washouts, bridge collapses, and river embankment failures, leading to its designation as a special disaster zone.
Mayor Lee stated, “This area is elevated and frequently requires snow removal operations in winter, so accurate forecasts are essential for proactive response, making the installation of a meteorological observation station absolutely necessary,” and proposed the establishment of the “Pohang Nayeonsan Meteorological Observation Station.”
Additionally, in the second half of last year, the Korea Meteorological Administration upgraded several regional meteorological offices to meteorological branch offices, resulting in the transfer of forecasters from four meteorological offices including Pohang, Sangju, Gumi, and Uljin to the Daegu Meteorological Branch Office, which reduced the personnel and functions of the Pohang Observation Station.
In response, Mayor Lee said, “The Pohang Observation Station performs a wide range of meteorological tasks including ground-level, upper-level, and marine weather observation, earthquake monitoring, disaster prevention work, and operation of unmanned observation stations and equipment,” adding, “As demand for customized local meteorological services increases, upgrading the Pohang Observation Station to the Pohang Meteorological Office is urgently needed.”
Along with this, Mayor Lee requested strengthened cooperation with the Korea Meteorological Administration through continuous communication to protect citizen safety, as the risk of natural disasters in the region is increasing due to abnormal weather phenomena.
After visiting Pohang City Hall, Yoo Hee-dong toured the Naengcheon area, which was damaged by Typhoon Hinnamnor, and received a briefing on disaster recovery and preparedness status from Park Kang-hyeok, the head of the Safety General Division.
Yoo Hee-dong, head of the Korea Meteorological Administration, said, “In a situation where typhoons and extreme heavy rains threaten the safety of citizens, the importance of weather forecasting is greater than ever,” and added, “We will actively consider the safety requirements of Pohang citizens for their protection.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
