Korea Forest Service issues landslide crisis alert at "Alert" level for Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province

[Financial News] On the 18th, the Korea Forest Service (KFS) raised the landslide crisis alert for Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province from "Caution" to "Alert" at 6 a.m., citing weather conditions and the generation of landslide forecast information. Landslide crisis alerts are issued in four stages, depending on the level of risk: "Interest," "Caution," "Alert," and "Severe." 
 The 12 cities and provinces excluding Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi Province and Jeju remain at the "Caution" level. Jeju is at the "Interest" level. 
 The KFS said that as of 6 a.m. that day, heavy rain advisories had been issued across Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, and that very strong and heavy rain of more than 200 mm is expected in some parts of the Capital Region through the 19th, making extra caution against landslides necessary.
 Taking into account that the ground has been weakened by previous rainfall, the KFS said it had preemptively dispatched landslide liaison officers at the director level to Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province starting from the "Caution" stage, before the alert was raised to "Alert," to strengthen on-site response and crisis management. The liaison officers will check whether local governments are issuing landslide forecasts in a timely manner, whether support systems for resident evacuation are functioning properly, and whether preventive measures for risk factors, including landslide-prone areas, have been implemented. They will also support thorough on-site response until the heavy rain ends.
 Lee Yong-kwon, director of forest disaster control at the KFS, said, "As the landslide crisis alert for the Capital Region has been raised to the 'Alert' level, local governments should immediately share the risk situation with residents and determine whether preemptive evacuations are needed." He added, "Please pay close attention to evacuation guidance through emergency disaster text messages and village broadcasts, and if an evacuation order is issued, move quickly to designated shelters such as village halls."
[email protected] Kim Won-joon Reporter