April 8 Daejeon Dong-gu Office Disaster Text Cancellation Incident
Reported "70 Animals Escaped" Described as "Dangerous Dogs"
"Would You Call a Magnitude 3 Earthquake a 10 for Safety?"
On the 8th, animal trainer and veterinarian Seol Chae-hyun expressed anger over the 'dangerous dog escape' disaster alert text message that was sent and then canceled by the Dong-gu Office in Daejeon. Seol posted an article containing the details on her social media (SNS) that day and wrote, "I am really angry. Is this a mere misunderstanding?"
Seol pointed out, "Disaster alerts are channels that must convey accurate information," adding, "I can understand the informant lying about there being 70 dogs. But can the person in charge arbitrarily label them as dangerous dogs?" She sarcastically continued, "Then even if there is a magnitude 3 earthquake, they could say it's a 10 for residents' safety, or if the Meteorological Agency predicts light rain, they could say a typhoon is coming."
She added, "I think this is a serious issue. It reflects the deeply rooted cynophobia and hatred toward dogs in our society," and said, "We need to reconsider who, why, and how this atmosphere was created."
Earlier, Dong-gu in Daejeon sent a disaster alert text around 10 a.m. stating, "At 9:44 a.m. today, about 70 dangerous dogs escaped from OO dog farm. Residents are advised to avoid the area and evacuate to a safe place immediately."
This was reportedly due to a report from a nearby resident that "large dogs that seem likely to bite people are roaming around." The police immediately requested joint response from the fire department, and during a call between a 119 emergency responder and the informant, it was said that about 70 dogs had escaped from the farm.
A dog farm in Dong-gu, Daejeon, mistakenly believed to have had a dangerous dog escape on the morning of the 8th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
However, after verification by the police and others, it was found that not 70 dangerous dogs but 3 small dogs had escaped from the farm. The escaped dogs were reportedly captured by the farm owner before the police and 119 responders arrived at the scene.
Accordingly, the Dong-gu Office sent an additional disaster alert text at 10:24 a.m., 25 minutes later, announcing the situation was over. In an explanatory statement, they said, "The report received by the fire department was confirmed to be false, and the incorrect information caused the mistake," and explained, "The term 'dangerous dog' was used during the disaster alert process to emphasize safety precautions."
The Dong-gu Office is considering legal action such as filing a complaint for obstruction of business against the informant who claimed that about 70 dogs had escaped. The informant is a nearby farmer who was reportedly in ongoing conflict with the dog owner. A Dong-gu Office official said, "We apologize for causing confusion among residents due to this disaster alert," and added, "We will be more cautious in verifying accurate facts when sending disaster alerts in the future."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
