Kim Dong-yeon Visits Disaster Management Headquarters to Check Heavy Rain Damage and Response Measures for Early Monsoon Season
[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] With heavy rain falling on June 20 centered on northern Gyeonggi areas including Gimpo and Paju, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon visited the Gyeonggi Province Disaster Safety Headquarters that afternoon to assess damage and response measures from the heavy rain. Gyeonggi Province has been operating Emergency Alert Level 1 since 6 a.m. on June 20 in preparation for heavy rain.
After receiving briefings on weather conditions and response measures by city and county, Governor Kim urged, "This is the first monsoon of the year, so above all, please do your best to ensure there are no casualties and respond well."
In doing so, he instructed: △All-out disaster response efforts with the resolve that "excess is better than deficiency" △Pre-emptive control of disaster-vulnerable areas including past damaged areas and riverside walking paths △Priority evacuation target groups to conduct welfare check calls through township and dong civil servants, neighborhood leaders, etc., and implement rapid pre-evacuation △Secure and remove falling hazard objects such as tower cranes and construction materials in preparation for strong winds. In particular, as concentrated precipitation is expected in North Korea and northern Gyeonggi areas, he reemphasized thorough preparation in border areas such as the Imjin River in coordination with related agencies.
Rain that began in earnest from midnight on June 20 recorded 50-121mm of precipitation by 2 p.m., centered on northern areas including Gimpo and Paju. In particular, between 3 and 6 a.m., heavy rain of up to 30-60mm/h fell. Precipitation is expected to concentrate from afternoon through late evening, with most ending by the morning of June 21. The expected precipitation for Gyeonggi Province is 50-150mm.
From the rain that fell on this day, Goyang Naegok passage box and Gimpo Yuhyun Bridge were temporarily closed and then reopened, with 75 safety measures completed including dangerous tree removal and road flooding prevention.
Under Emergency Alert Level 1, a total of 35 personnel are on duty—23 civil servants from flood and wind-related departments including the Natural Disaster Response Team, Forest and Greening Division, and River Division, along with 12 personnel from major department situation rooms—to assess heavy rain conditions in each city and county and provide support when damage occurs.
Earlier, Governor Kim visited the recovery site of the Shinansan Line in Gwangmyeong on the morning of June 19 to personally check the heavy rain preparedness situation, and presided over a video conference with 31 city and county mayors, stating, "Based on Gyeonggi Province's disaster response principles of field-centered swift judgment and bold action, please make all-out preparations not only for this weekend's heavy downpours but also for the upcoming monsoon season," which he emphasized.