From wildfires to crowd accidents: 236 agencies nationwide to take part in disaster response drills

[Financial News]  The government will conduct a joint drill involving 236 agencies nationwide to prepare for major disasters such as wildfires, venue fires and crowd accidents. The drill will simulate real disaster scenarios to assess rescue operations, resident evacuations and coordination among relevant agencies, with problems identified on site to be reflected in crisis management manuals.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 18th that it will hold the “2026 Second-Half Safe Korea Disaster Response Drill” from the 19th to the 30th, with 236 participating agencies, including central and local governments and public institutions.
The drill will focus on social disasters that could cause large-scale loss of life, including wildfires, road disasters, venue fires and incidents involving large crowds. Each agency will select high-risk disaster scenarios based on local characteristics and past disasters, and assess its response systems under realistic conditions.
In particular, the drill will check whether relevant agencies coordinate effectively in complex disasters involving multiple simultaneous incidents. It will focus on rapidly deploying rescue and emergency medical personnel and equipment immediately after a disaster and evacuating residents to safety.
Wildfire response drills will be held in 52 cities, counties and districts across the country, including Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang Province, which was designated a special disaster area following a major wildfire in March last year. The drills will focus on procedures to contain the spread of flames in the early stages of a wildfire and evacuate residents quickly.
Korea Pipeline Corporation will hold a drill on the 27th at the Pangyo oil depot in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, simulating a complex disaster in which a wildfire leads to a fire and explosion at an oil tank and an oil spill. The Korea Forest Service, Seongnam City and other relevant agencies, including fire and police departments, will take part to assess ways to ensure residents’ safety and quickly restore energy supply operations.
Disaster response drills will also be held at venues and railway facilities that draw large crowds.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will conduct a joint drill on the 22nd at the Seoul Arts Center with Seocho-gu and other local authorities, simulating a complex disaster in which a venue fire leads to a crowd accident. The drill will assess the venue’s own fire response team’s initial response capabilities, audience evacuation and emergency medical support systems. A total of 20 agencies, including Jongno-gu and Gwangjin-gu in Seoul and Haeundae-gu in Busan, will also conduct disaster drills at venues.
On the 29th, a drill will simulate an earthquake, fire and incident involving a large crowd in the area around World Cup Stadium Station in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. Daejeon Transportation Corporation, police and fire departments, Korea Electric Power Corporation and others will take part to assess the division of responsibilities among agencies and their joint response system.
Railway facilities will prepare for complex disasters such as train derailments caused by terrorism, building collapses and fires. Airport Railroad will conduct a passenger evacuation and on-site response drill with relevant agencies on the 29th at Gyeyang Station in Incheon.
The ability to respond to road disasters will also be assessed. Daejeon City will hold a drill on the 23rd at Anyeong Sports Park, simulating a retaining wall collapse, ground subsidence and an accident involving the overturning of a vehicle transporting hazardous materials. The military, police and fire departments, medical institutions and others will take part to assess accident-site control, resident evacuations and coordination using the disaster communications network.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will hold a drill on the 22nd at Gimhae International Airport to prepare for a scenario in which disruptions to air navigation safety facilities and aircraft accidents paralyze critical national infrastructure. Airlines and agencies responsible for immigration and quarantine will take part to assess procedures for restoring critical aviation operations.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to focus its assessment on how quickly personnel and equipment can be mobilized at disaster sites and whether each agency’s crisis management manual works properly in the field.
A central evaluation team made up of private-sector experts will assess the entire drill, and problems identified through the evaluation will be reflected in improvements to crisis management manuals. The ministry also plans to strengthen the link between evaluation results and follow-up improvements so the drill does not remain a one-off event.
“The Safe Korea Disaster Response Drill is an important process for checking whether response systems work properly before a disaster occurs and addressing any shortcomings,” said Kim Gwang-yong, head of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. “Through practical drills, we will enhance on-site response capabilities and establish a disaster and safety management system to prepare for complex disasters.”

[email protected] Lee Bomi Reporter