Pohang International Fireworks Festival, All-Out Efforts for a Safe Event!... On-Site Joint Inspection Conducted

Mayor Lee Kangdeok: "Top Priority on Safety, Proactive Preparations Through Close Cooperation With Related Agencies"

Vice Mayor Jang Sangkil, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Province, and Related Agencies Conduct Joint Large-Scale Crowd Safety Inspection

Pohang City conducted an on-site joint inspection for safety management at the festival venue on the 30th, one day before the '2024 Pohang International Fireworks Festival'.

Kangduk Lee, mayor of Pohang, is urging thorough inspections for a safe festival at the 'Pohang International Fireworks Festival Final Inspection Meeting' held on the 14th in the city hall's main conference room.

The inspection team was formed with the participation of Deputy Mayor Jang Sangkil, as well as officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Gyeongbuk Province, Pohang Northern Police Station, Pohang Northern Fire Station, Pohang Coast Guard, Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Korea Electrical Safety Corporation. Together, they inspected a total of eight areas including fire safety, facilities, gas, and health.

The joint inspection team walked approximately 1 km from the clock tower at Yeongildae Beach, where the main stage is set up, to Yeongildae Pavilion. They focused on checking the movement routes for visitors and response scenarios for various emergency situations that may arise due to nighttime crowd congestion. They also cross-checked for any blind spots in safety management to ensure no vulnerabilities remain.

The Pohang International Fireworks Festival, held for three days starting on the 31st, is Pohang's representative cultural tourism festival. It will offer a wide variety of attractions and entertainment themed around fire and light, such as the International Fireworks Competition, Fireworks Drone Show, and Daily Fireworks Show. Following last year's attendance of approximately 290,000 visitors, a large number of spectators are also expected to visit the festival this year.

In response, Mayor Lee Kangdeok emphasized, "We must prioritize safety so that tourists can enjoy a fun and safe festival. This requires organic cooperation with relevant agencies and local community groups." He repeatedly urged, "We will also pay even closer attention to the management of facilities for the convenience of citizens."

Accordingly, the city is thoroughly preparing for three-dimensional safety management on both land and sea for the large-scale festival by: ▲ operating a joint comprehensive situation room with relevant agencies ▲ managing on-site situations through the installation of safety CCTVs ▲ operating two DJ Police (police vehicles for crowd control) ▲ deploying Coast Guard safety management vessels ▲ and running ambulances and medical situation teams.

Additionally, to address the inconvenience of long waits for restrooms during last year's Pohang International Fireworks Festival held at Hyeongsan River, the city has secured open restrooms in cooperation with local businesses, increasing the number by more than three times compared to last year to enhance citizen convenience.

Deputy Mayor Jang Sangkil stated, "We are making every effort to ensure that the many visitors to Pohang can enjoy the festival comfortably even in crowded situations," and added, "We will do our utmost to create a safe festival without accidents through organic cooperation with relevant agencies."

To ensure a safe festival, Pohang City not only conducted a joint on-site safety inspection with relevant agencies such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on this day, but also plans to hold a meeting of agency heads presided over by Mayor Lee Kangdeok on the 31st. The city will continue to maintain thorough safety management with local agencies until the end of the festival.