Nationwide First Joint Proposal of the 'Complex Disaster Safety Management Ordinance'

Seoul Metropolitan Council Urban Safety and Construction Committee Launches 11th Term with Nationwide First Joint Proposal of 'Complex Disaster Safety Management Ordinance'

Chairman Kang Dong-gil

As the types of disasters diversify and their frequency increases due to rapid changes in society and the environment, cases of complex disasters?where two or more disasters occur sequentially or simultaneously?are on the rise.

Consequently, public anxiety is also gradually increasing.

In response, the Urban Safety and Construction Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kang Dong-gil) has jointly proposed the nation’s first "Ordinance on the Management of Complex Disaster Safety in Seoul" with all 11 committee members (Kang Dong-gil, Kim Dong-wook, Kim Yong-ho, Kim Hye-ji, Nam Chang-jin, Park Sung-yeon, Lee Eun-rim, Choi Min-gyu, Park Chil-seong, Bong Yang-soon, and Seong Heum-je) at the start of the second half of the 11th term to safely protect Seoul from complex disasters.

According to this ordinance, a ‘complex disaster’ is defined as two or more different disasters, as specified by the Disaster and Safety Act, occurring sequentially or simultaneously. It stipulates the mayor’s responsibility to prepare and implement policies for complex disaster safety management. Furthermore, the mayor is required to establish a complex disaster safety management plan every two years. The plan must include ▲ analysis of damage and response cases from domestic and international complex disasters ▲ analysis of interconnections between disasters and selection of key complex disaster types for focused management ▲ analysis of the current complex disaster response system and development of improvement measures ▲ establishment of a collaborative system among related agencies in the event of complex disasters ▲ and matters related to training for key complex disasters.

Additionally, from a practical standpoint for plan implementation, the ordinance mandates the preparation and management of complex disaster response guidelines. These guidelines must include ‘prediction of damage patterns based on complex disaster development scenarios’ and ‘measures for response and recovery in the event of complex disasters.’

Chairman Kang, the lead proposer of the ordinance, stated, “The safety management response to complex disasters, such as simultaneous occurrences of floods and heatwaves, can differ somewhat from responding to each disaster individually.” He pointed out, “Nevertheless, in Korea, institutional measures have yet to be established, leaving a safety blind spot.” He added, “Once this ordinance is enacted, Seoul will become the first city in the nation to systematically manage complex disasters through legislation.”

This ordinance is scheduled to be submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s August extraordinary session. If it passes the Urban Safety and Construction Committee review and the plenary session, it will be forwarded to the mayor and is expected to take effect on September 1, 2025.