Government Strengthens Safety Management for Chuseok Holiday...Emergency Responses for Transportation, Fires and Public Security

[Financial News]  With this year’s Chuseok holiday lasting only four days, travelers are expected to concentrate within a short period for their trips to and from their hometowns. The government is therefore strengthening safety management in transportation, fire prevention, public security and medical care. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, it has selected 50 roads with a high risk of traffic accidents and will alert drivers in advance through TMAP and variable-message signs. The number of passenger vessels will also be increased from 126 to 135.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) said on the 16th that the central and local governments will jointly implement the “Chuseok Holiday Safety Management Measures” from the 24th through the 27th. The government finalized the measures at a national policy coordination meeting chaired by Prime Minister Han Seong-sook that day.
The government believes that because this year’s holiday is shorter than usual, users of expressways, railways and passenger vessels are likely to be concentrated during specific time periods.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will operate a joint government special transportation measures headquarters for five days starting the day before the holiday. Special safety inspections of expressways, national roads and privately operated expressways will be conducted through the 18th.
Fifty roads with a high risk of accidents will also be managed separately using AI and big data. Drivers entering those sections will be warned of the accident risks through TMAP and variable-message signs.
Railway authorities will inspect passenger amenities and firefighting facilities on trains and at 37 major stations. If weather conditions deteriorate because of heavy rain or strong winds, they will respond proactively, including suspending high-speed rail services. Materials and equipment will also be placed at 22 major locations nationwide to enable rapid recovery in the event of an accident.
In the aviation sector, 395 aircraft parking stands will be secured so aircraft can be moved and parked in preparation for strong winds. If passengers are stranded at airports for extended periods because of bad weather, drinking water, blankets and mattresses will be provided.
Passenger vessel services will also be expanded. The number of vessels deployed will rise from 126 to 135, while the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will operate a special transportation measures headquarters from the 23rd through the 27th. Before departure, passengers and crew members will receive guidance on how to respond to emergencies.
Fire prevention and wildfire response will also be strengthened. The National Fire Agency will begin special emergency duty from the 23rd through the 28th. High-risk facilities used by large numbers of people will undergo unannounced safety inspections, and patrols will be increased in vulnerable residential areas, including semi-basement housing and jjokbang neighborhoods.
Police will elevate the rank of the situation management officer from senior superintendent general to superintendent general during the holiday. A survey found that 50.4% of one-person households did not return to their hometowns during last year’s Chuseok, so patrols will be expanded in areas with high concentrations of one-person households. Inspections will also target high-risk groups for crimes involving relationships, including domestic violence and child abuse.
Medical institutions will maintain an emergency care system. The Ministry of Health and Welfare will operate 416 emergency medical institutions and 113 emergency medical facilities around the clock during the holiday. Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies that remain open can be found through the Emergency Medical Portal (E-Gen) and the “Eunggeup Ttokttok” app.
Infectious-disease response will also be strengthened in light of recent outbreaks of influenza and COVID-19. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will accept reports around the clock if suspected cases of Class 1 infectious diseases or other illnesses occur. It will also provide respiratory infectious-disease testing and rapid diagnostic testing for dengue fever and malaria to travelers entering the country.
MOIS will operate a 24-hour situation management system centered on the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room throughout the holiday. Safety inspections will be conducted before the holiday at locations expected to draw large crowds, including local festivals and traditional markets.
Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung said, "We will maintain a thorough situation management system by working closely with relevant agencies throughout the Chuseok holiday."

[email protected] Lee Bo-mi Reporter