Geochang County Implements Six Comprehensive Measures to Ensure Safety of Residents and Returning Visitors During Lunar New Year Holiday

Lunar New Year Holiday Measures
for the Safety and Convenience of Residents and Returning Visitors

Geochang County in South Gyeongsang Province will establish and implement a "Comprehensive Plan for the Lunar New Year Holiday" across six areas so that county residents and returning visitors can spend a safe and comfortable Lunar New Year holiday in 2026. The six areas are: disaster and safety, resolving daily inconveniences, price stability, transportation convenience, welfare sharing, and strengthening public service discipline.

◆ Disaster and safety: 24-hour situation management, reinforced response to wildfires and heavy snowfall

First, to prevent disasters and safety accidents, the county will operate the Disaster and Safety Situation Room 24 hours a day. In particular, this year the risk of wildfires has increased compared to previous years, with the national wildfire disaster crisis alert level raised to "Alert" due to dry weather. Accordingly, the county will establish a Wildfire Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters to strengthen monitoring and standby systems, organize snow removal teams to prepare for heavy snowfall and icy roads, and designate sections where road closures are expected as special management zones, focusing on preventing safety accidents during homebound travel.

◆ Resolving daily inconveniences: Emergency response systems for medical care, cleaning, water and sewage, and gas

In the healthcare sector, the county will manage the local medical service system centered on the Emergency Medical Situation Room and will provide medical services during the holiday period in cooperation with major medical institutions, including Geochang Red Cross Hospital, SG Seogyeong Hospital, and Jungang Medical Center. In addition, to cope with the increase in household waste, the county will operate a waste disposal situation team and mobile cleaning teams, and will respond quickly to water supply and sewage issues through monitoring of water supply conditions and operation of mobile repair teams. In the gas sector, the county plans to minimize service gaps and handle civil complaints and safety issues by operating a supply inconvenience reporting center and implementing a rotation system for LPG distributors.

Exterior view of Geochang County Office.

◆ Price stability: Inspection of holiday item prices and distribution order, promotion of local consumption

The county will also pursue efforts to stabilize the cost of living for ordinary citizens through price stabilization measures. It will operate a Price Stabilization Comprehensive Situation Room to manage the supply and price trends of popular holiday items, and will strengthen on-site inspections on the implementation of the price-tagging system and country-of-origin labeling. In addition, to ease the burden of shopping basket prices, the county will hold a Onnuri Gift Certificate refund event and expand the issuance of the Geochang Love Gift Certificate, thereby supporting measures to promote local consumption.

◆ Transportation convenience: Operation of a special transportation task force, free opening of temporary parking lots

To cope with the increased traffic volume during the holiday period, the county will operate an emergency special transportation countermeasures team. It will implement transportation measures such as increasing the number of intercity bus services and extending the operating hours of rural buses to ensure smooth traffic flow. It will also secure temporary parking lots, including riverside roads and riverside parking lots, as well as the public parking lot at the bus terminal, and open them free of charge to returning visitors to alleviate parking inconveniences.

◆ Welfare sharing: Ensuring the safety of vulnerable groups and visits of consolation for a warm holiday

To create a warm Lunar New Year holiday, the county will visit and offer consolation to socially disadvantaged neighbors, including social welfare facilities, together with private organizations, putting sharing into practice. For elderly people living alone, the county will conduct pre-holiday safety visits to prepare for emergencies during the holiday period. For children at risk of missing meals, the county plans to do its utmost to prevent meal deprivation by providing meal cards and food vouchers.

County Governor Koo Inmo said, "During the Lunar New Year holiday, we will thoroughly operate emergency response systems in each sector, placing the safety of county residents and returning visitors as our top priority," adding, "We will carefully manage everything in the field so that all county residents can enjoy a warm and comfortable holiday."