Gyeongju City to Lease Wildfire Suppression Helicopter Again Next Year to Prevent Gaps in Wildfire Response

New Lease to Begin Immediately After December 31 Expiration
Project Budget Set at 1.5 Billion Won

On December 23, Gyeongju City announced that it will move forward with a project to lease wildfire suppression helicopters for 2026 to ensure a swift initial response in the event of a wildfire.

This leasing project is intended to minimize any gaps in wildfire response by initiating a new contract immediately upon the expiration of the existing lease agreement.

A virtual image depicting a KA-32A wildfire suppression helicopter conducting firefighting operations after water collection, as Gyeongju City moves forward with leasing wildfire suppression helicopters in 2026. Provided by Gyeongju City

The wildfire suppression helicopter to be leased by Gyeongju City is the KA-32A model, which has a bucket capacity of 4,800 liters.

The project budget is 1.5 billion won, and the helicopter base will be located at the Agricultural Products Distribution Center (1082-17 Hyo-hyeon-dong).

The KA-32A, manufactured by Russian Helicopters, a Russian aerospace company, is widely used for wildfire suppression missions in South Korea.

With the current wildfire suppression helicopter lease set to expire on December 31 this year, Gyeongju City is preparing for a new lease in 2026.

The leasing period for the 2026 wildfire suppression helicopter will total 223 days.

Operations will be conducted for 151 days in the spring, from January 1 to May 31, 2026, and for 72 days in the autumn, from October 21 to December 31, 2026.

Gyeongju City will also implement ground response measures in conjunction with helicopter operations.

Patrols and monitoring will be intensified in 33 areas vulnerable to wildfires, including the village of Mohwa 3-ri in Oedong-eup. To support wildfire prevention and rapid initial response, 38 professional wildfire suppression personnel and 251 wildfire monitors will be deployed.

Joo Nak-young, Mayor of Gyeongju City, emphasized, "Since the scale of wildfire damage is determined by the initial response, we will maintain a response system that ensures seamless coordination between aerial suppression and ground operations."