306 Billion Won Invested in Safety Budget
Preventive Administration Keeps City at Top of Regional Safety Index
Despite record-breaking heavy rainfall last summer, Gyeryong City in South Chungcheong Province suffered no major disaster damage and is establishing itself as "Korea's leading safe city" thanks to its disaster prevention-focused management and the integration of smart technologies.
According to the city on December 16, Gyeryong has pursued safety projects closely tied to daily life-such as thorough inspections of high-risk areas, improvements to road drainage systems, stormwater inlets, sewer pipelines, and forest maintenance-based on a principle of proactive, preventive disaster management.
In particular, the city has focused on strengthening disaster prevention systems in areas directly related to citizens' daily lives, including the installation of sun shelters to combat heat waves, sewer dredging, manhole reinforcement, and the stockpiling of supplies for storm and flood preparedness, enabling a proactive response.
This year, Gyeryong allocated 30.6 billion won-about 11% of its total budget-to safety initiatives, reinforcing core infrastructure such as roads, rivers, sewers, disaster prevention facilities, and transportation.
Additionally, the city has implemented preventive administration measures to address climate change, including sewer and steep slope maintenance, the duplication of water supply pipelines, and the expansion of smart CCTV systems.
In the area of traffic safety, the city has improved perceived safety among citizens by establishing roundabouts, upgrading school zones, reorganizing traffic signal systems, and conducting traffic safety campaigns.
Through its smart city development project, Gyeryong has expanded intelligent safety infrastructure-including smart crosswalks, fine dust alert systems, emergency call bells, and bus information terminals-thereby completing a model of a smart safe city.
As a result of these efforts, the city has been recognized for two consecutive years as an outstanding city in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Regional Safety Index. It has also ranked as the top city nationwide for traffic safety for three consecutive years and achieved the highest social safety index in the Chungcheong region.
Mayor Lee Eungwoo stated, "Safety is the starting point for citizens' happiness," and pledged, "We will continue to expand preventive administration based on advanced technology and deliver safety outcomes that citizens can truly feel."
The city plans to continue integrating smart technologies and predictive administration to further develop as a disaster-resilient safe city.
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