"We will leave no gaps in supporting livelihoods and ensuring safety during the Chuseok holiday"... Gwangju Special City launches comprehensive Chuseok holiday measures

[Financial News | Jeonnam-Gwangju = Reporter Hwang Tae-jong] Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City (Gwangju Special City) will implement 'comprehensive Chuseok holiday measures' from the 24th through the 27th to ensure that residents and visitors returning to their hometowns can enjoy a safe and comfortable holiday.
 In particular, the city will activate task forces for people’s livelihoods, safety, healthcare, and transportation. It will also operate comprehensive situation rooms at the Muan County and Gwangju government offices to respond swiftly to incidents, accidents, and inconveniences faced by residents.
 Ko Gwang-wan, Vice Mayor for Safety and People's Livelihoods of Gwangju Special City, emphasized, "As this is the first Chuseok since the launch of the Integrated Special City, the Special City and its 27 cities, counties, and districts will work closely together to maintain the emergency response system through the final day of the holiday. We will do our utmost to minimize inconvenience for residents and ensure a safe holiday."
 First, Gwangju Special City will operate a disaster situation room around the clock and strengthen safety management at public-use facilities and fire-vulnerable sites to prevent safety incidents, including disasters, fires, and wildfires, during the holiday period. The fire department will conduct special watch duty from 6 p.m. on the 23rd until 9 a.m. on the 28th. To prevent wildfires, it will maintain a 24-hour situation management system and establish a response posture with nine wildfire suppression helicopters and 552 ground firefighting personnel.
 To improve transportation convenience for people traveling to and from their hometowns, 15 intercity bus routes will add 34 runs, while city and rural buses will operate flexibly according to regional demand. On Chuseok Day, service on Route 518 will be increased from 10 buses making 60 runs to 16 buses making 90 runs for visitors to national and municipal cemeteries and Yeongnak Park.
 To prevent gaps in medical care, 38 emergency medical institutions in the Jeonnam region and 21 institutions in the Gwangju region, including emergency medical institutions and facilities operating emergency rooms, will provide emergency care around the clock. Hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies that remain open will also be designated and operated. Information on hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies open during the Chuseok holiday can be obtained through the Emergency Medical Portal, the Emergency Medical Information Service (E-Gen) app, the Ministry of Health and Welfare Call Center, the Emergency Situation Management Center, and the South Jeolla Province Call Center.
 To respond swiftly to daily-life inconveniences involving waste, water supplies, and energy, the city will operate a water-supply situation room and emergency electricity and gas contact networks to minimize disruptions to water service and energy supplies.
 It will also connect households in crisis within welfare blind spots with emergency welfare assistance and private donations. Measures to protect vulnerable groups will include checking on approximately 89,000 vulnerable older adults, monitoring their emergency safety, and providing free meals.
 Earlier, ahead of Chuseok, Gwangju Special City expanded the local currency discount rate by 5 percentage points from the 1st to reduce the burden of holiday shopping. The discount was set at 15% in general areas and up to 17% in population-decline areas. The city also closely monitored prices of 19 types of holiday staple goods and completed inspections at traditional markets and tourist attractions for unfair commercial practices, including the display of prices and origins and price gouging.

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