Gwangju City Council Member Kang Suhun Calls for Enhanced Disaster Management of High-Rise Buildings

‘Ordinance Amendment on Disaster Management for Super High-Rise Buildings in Gwangju’
Passes City Council Standing Committee

Soohoon Kang, Gwangju City Council member.

The disaster management system for super high-rise and underground-connected complex buildings in the Gwangju area is expected to be further strengthened.

According to the Gwangju Metropolitan Council on the 7th, the "Ordinance Amendment on Disaster Management for Super High-Rise Buildings in Gwangju," proposed by Councilor Kang Suhun (Democratic Party, Seo-gu 1), has passed the review by the Administrative and Autonomy Committee of the city council.

There have been ongoing calls for institutional measures to prevent and respond quickly to disasters in buildings densely populated with visitors and commercial facilities, as disasters in such places can lead to large-scale damage.

The amendment establishes the basis for systematizing safety management for super high-rise and underground-connected complex buildings, which are vulnerable to large-scale disasters such as fires, terrorism, and earthquakes. In particular, it introduces new provisions allowing heads of relevant agencies to request cooperation for disaster and terrorism education and training. It also specifies that the management entities of such high-rise buildings must use various technologies, including artificial intelligence, to guide evacuation routes so that on-duty staff, residents, and users can evacuate quickly and safely in the event of a disaster. Additionally, it newly stipulates that the Mayor of Gwangju should strive to support the development of technologies for such evacuation guidance.

Councilor Kang stated, "In the case of super high-rise buildings and underground-connected facilities, the structure of the buildings and the characteristics of the users make it inevitable that the scale of damage will be larger in the event of a disaster," adding, "Through this ordinance amendment, we aimed to further solidify the cooperation system among related agencies and establish an institutional foundation to enhance citizens' safety awareness."

Councilor Kang also said, "As cities become taller and more complex commercial facilities increase, disasters also become more complicated," and added, "With this ordinance amendment, we will continue to improve institutional measures so that all citizens of Gwangju can safely carry out their daily lives."