Governor Kim Yungrok Emphasizes Safety Measures Ahead of Heavy Rainfall

Inspection Conducted in Each Sector During Review Meeting
Emphasis on Preemptive Action and Reporting Afterward
On-site Inspection of Hwasun Seotae 2 District Project

On July 17, Kim Yungrok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, presided over a meeting to review the region's response to heavy rainfall and then visited the site of the Hwasun disaster risk reduction project. There, he emphasized the importance of thorough on-site management and securing safety to prevent any damage to residents.

According to Jeollanam-do officials, more than 200mm of rainfall is forecast for the southern coastal region between July 19 and 20.

In response, Governor Kim reviewed countermeasures for each sector together with heads of disaster response departments, city and county vice mayors, and vice governors. He instructed them to: strengthen inspections focusing on areas previously affected by disasters; conduct a comprehensive overhaul of storm drains and drainage channels; implement preemptive controls in areas expected to flood; and establish management plans for dam and reservoir water levels.

Governor Kim stated, "Areas at risk of flooding should be quickly controlled in advance, and since nighttime evacuation is difficult, evacuation before sunset must be the principle." He added, "I am especially concerned about areas at risk of landslides. To enable preemptive evacuation, cooperate closely with relevant agencies such as the police and fire departments, and ensure that the public official responsibility system is properly implemented to do everything possible to secure the safety of residents."

He also ordered, "Actively utilize local personnel, such as village safety guardians, to strengthen on-site response capabilities. During heavy rainfall, it is difficult to communicate solely through village broadcasts, so the response system must be changed to one where officials visit and inform residents in risk areas directly."

On this day, Governor Kim visited the Hwasun Seotae 2 District disaster risk reduction project site, which is a regularly flooded area experiencing issues such as residential and farmland flooding and embankment damage. He emphasized, "As disaster prevention projects are underway, please ensure thorough on-site management so that no damage to residents occurs due to rainfall."

He added, "Please pay close attention to removing river sediment and obstacles to water flow to prepare for sudden rainfall."

Meanwhile, Jeollanam-do plans to designate and manage areas at risk of large-scale casualties or disasters, such as low-lying areas along rivers and steep slopes near villages, as disaster risk zones in preparation for recent localized heavy rainfall. The province also intends to expand its financial support for these efforts.