Emergency in Jongno over Yoon Impeachment Trial... Heads of Related Agencies Hold Emergency Meeting

Jongno District: "Deploying 500 Public Officials and Preparing for Accidents"
Police: "Maximizing Safety Measures Amid High Concerns Over Incidents"
Seoul National University Hospital: "Disaster Response Team Ready and Additional Medical Staff Assigned"

“Given past cases and the patterns of clashes, we cannot guarantee that no unfortunate incidents will occur. We are focusing on ensuring safety and responding accordingly.” (Ham Kyung-cheol, Chief of Hyehwa Police Station)

“We plan to deploy about 300 staff members for emergency duty, mainly around crowded exits, and assign 500 headquarters staff to safety management and the task force.” (Jung Moon-heon, Mayor of Jongno District)

“There is an on-duty specialist in the emergency room, but on the day of the verdict, we plan to assign additional specialists. Since various situations can change in real time, we will establish a good communication system with the fire department for real-time response.” (Park Jung-shin, Deputy Director of Seoul National University Hospital)

Pro and anti-impeachment rallies for President Yoon in downtown Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.

Regarding the impeachment trial verdict of President Yoon Seok-yeol, the expressions of Jongno District Mayor Jung Moon-heon and heads of related agencies such as police, fire, and medical services gathered on the 13th floor of the annex building of the district office at 5 p.m. on the 19th were serious and solemn.

The emergency countermeasure meeting held under the jurisdiction of Jongno District was organized to share the roles and measures of major institutions for preventing safety accidents and to establish a thorough cooperation system. Attendees included Jongno District Mayor Jung Moon-heon, Jongno District Council Chairman Ra Do-gyun, Jongno Police Chief Gong Kyung-hyun, Hyehwa Police Chief Ham Kyung-cheol, Deputy Director of Seoul National University Hospital Park Jung-shin, and heads of 12 institutions including Jongno Tax Office, Jongno Fire Station, Jungbu Education Support Office, Korea Electric Power Corporation Seoul Headquarters, 219th Brigade 1st Battalion, KT Gwanghwamun Branch, Seoul Metro Gwanghwamun Operations Office, and Jonggak Station.

Jung Moon-heon, Mayor of Jongno District, stated, “We will deploy district employees to establish a response system for safety management and operation of on-site clinics in preparation for large-scale rallies.” He added, “There were casualties during the previous impeachment, so to prevent such incidents, Jongno District will operate a comprehensive safety management situation room for three days before and after the verdict day and thoroughly prepare citizen safety measures in areas such as crowd control, emergency relief, and road maintenance.” He also urged each institution to “pool their expertise and capabilities to the fullest.”

Jongno District has organized seven teams: the General Situation Team, Administrative Support Team, Facility Management Team, Road Maintenance Team, Civil Complaints Response Team, Emergency Relief Team, and Crowd Control Team. To establish an emergency medical system, an on-site clinic has already been set up in the parking lot of the Cheondogyo Suun Hall, and the medical support team will treat minor injuries while the rapid response team will respond together with the disaster medical support team in case of casualties. Illegal parking enforcement and CCTV monitoring will also be strengthened around the Constitutional Court, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Anguk Station.

Gong Kyung-hyun, Chief of Jongno Police Station, said, “Jongno, Hyehwa, and Yongsan Police Stations continue to cooperate, and since the first week of this month, we have inspected all nearby schools with the superintendent to ensure the safety of students and staff near the Constitutional Court.” He added, “Protesters have been using abusive language that affects students, causing concern among parents and teachers, but the police will make thorough preparations.”

Park Jung-shin, Deputy Director of Seoul National University Hospital, stated, “We are prepared to dispatch the disaster response team if a situation arises,” and “We are conducting disaster preparedness drills in case of mass casualties and have prepared necessary locations within the hospital.”

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court decided on the 19th not to announce the date of the impeachment trial verdict for President Yoon Seok-yeol. It is reported that the justices will hold a deliberation session on the 20th to continue discussions.

Jongno-gu held an emergency countermeasure meeting on the afternoon of the 19th regarding the impeachment trial verdict of President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Kim Min-jin.