Mayor Kang Su-hyun Orders Full-Scale Response to Extreme Cold Wave of Minus 18 Degrees in Yangju

Comprehensive Winter Cold Wave Response Plan Established
Proactive Response System in Place... Thorough Preparation
Top Priority: Preventing Loss of Life and Property for Citizens

The morning temperature in the northern Gyeonggi region has dropped sharply to around minus 20 degrees Celsius, marking the coldest weather this winter. Following the expansion of the cold wave advisory to the entire Gyeonggi Province on the 8th, local governments within the province have also been put on high alert.

Kang Su-hyun, Mayor of Yangju City. Provided by Yangju City

On the 10th, as the morning low temperature in Yangju City recorded minus 18℃, bringing the strongest cold wave of this winter, Mayor Kang Su-hyun of Yangju ordered all administrative efforts to be focused on the top priority goal of preventing loss of life and property damage for the 300,000 citizens of Yangju.

Before the first cold wave advisory of this winter was issued, the city had already established the ‘Yangju City Winter Cold Wave Response Comprehensive Plan’ to build a proactive response system.

Based on this, starting from November 15 last year, a ‘Cold Wave Response TF Team’ consisting of 5 groups and 18 departments was formed to monitor rapidly changing weather conditions in real time, conduct facility inspections and preventive activities, and support damage sites, maintaining a real-time response system.

Additionally, 302 community leaders and public officials from eup, myeon, and dong offices have been designated as disaster helpers to provide immediate information on cold wave advisories and action guidelines to vulnerable groups such as elderly living alone, disabled persons, basic livelihood security recipients, and low-income families.

Along with this, 116 members composed of life support workers and social workers from elderly care institutions in the local areas visit and call elderly people in need of care, such as basic livelihood security recipients and near-poverty groups, to check their health, distribute cold wave prevention supplies, and educate them on action guidelines during cold wave advisories.

There are also solid, life-oriented measures considering citizens’ daily lives.

Yangju City has designated 276 cold wave shelters within the city for easy access by any citizen to escape the cold, and installed 330 bus stops equipped with heated seats and windbreak facilities.

Furthermore, through close cooperation with related organizations such as eup, myeon, and dong administrative welfare centers, Yangju Fire Station, Yangju Police Station, and Yangju Waterworks Office at the frontline of administration, a seamless response system has been established for facility emergency restoration, emergency treatment and follow-up, and traffic control, strongly promoting efforts to achieve zero casualties.

Mayor Kang Su-hyun of Yangju said, “We fully understand the anxiety citizens feel due to the cold wave forecast by the Korea Meteorological Administration,” and added, “Our Yangju City will do its best to ensure that citizens can spend a safe and warm winter through thorough preparation and response systems.”

Meanwhile, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Weather Administration, as of 7 a.m. on the day, temperatures were recorded as follows: Pocheon Idong -20.6°C, Paju Panmunjom -20.4°C, Yeoncheon -20°C, Yangju Nambang -18°C, Dongducheon Habongam -16.9°C, Uijeongbu -15.3°C, and Goyang -14.4°C.