S. Korea checks safety in western border region

The South Korean Interior and Safety Ministry will conduct an emergency special inspection of broadcasting and evacuation facilities in response to North Korea's recent artillery provocations in the western border region, which have raised tensions among residents of the large islands, including Yeonpyeong Island in Incheon's Ongjin County. The ministry plans to inspect village broadcasts and civil defense facilities that can quickly inform residents of the situation.

The ministry announced Wednesday that it would form a 29-member joint inspection team with three provinces, namely Incheon Metropolitan City, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon provinces, with its civil defense inspector as the head, to conduct special inspections through January 31, mainly in border areas. The inspection will check basic performance such as sound quality and volume of village broadcast systems, equipment abnormalities in alarm facilities, and familiarization of personnel with emergency duties. In the case of evacuation facilities, the inspectors will look at the proper location of guidance signs and focus on whether equipment, such as emergency water supply facilities, is working properly. Earlier on January 9, The Dong-A Ilbo reported that many residents in Yeonpyeong Island were unable to hear evacuation announcements due to broken loudspeakers and aging equipment.

Based on the results of the special inspection, the ministry plans to identify facilities and problems that need prompt maintenance and develop improvement measures. Separately, the ministry will build 63 new civil defense facilities this year by investing about 5.4 billion won (approximately 4 million U.S. dollars) to protect the public in the event of an emergency. "The government will strengthen the civilian protection system so that residents in the areas in and around the five western islands can live with peace of mind,” said Lee Han-gyeong, head of the ministry’s disaster safety management headquarters.


chaewani@donga.com