Gangwon Province’s Comprehensive Winter Snow-Removal Plan: 44,286 Tonnes of Deicing Agent and 248 Pieces of Equipment Pre-Positioned

【Financial News, Chuncheon = Kim Gi-seop】Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province is activating its heavy-snow response system for this winter, pre-positioning 44,286 tonnes of deicing agent and 248 pieces of equipment at 38 forward bases across the province before snow accumulates and intensively managing 320 km of mountain roads where traffic disruptions are a concern.
According to Gangwon Province on the 27th, the province has drawn up a comprehensive winter road snow-removal plan for 2026–2027 and designated the period from November 15 through March 15 of next year as the snow-removal season. The plan covers 2,116 km of delegated national highways and provincial roads. Taking mountainous terrain and local weather conditions into account, the province will prepare in stages, from pre-snowfall readiness to on-site response. This is the first winter plan since the launch of the ninth popularly elected administration, and it focuses on protecting residents’ everyday safety, including their commutes, school journeys and trips to hospitals.
To strengthen its initial response to snowfall, the province will complete preparations to secure snow-removal resources and position them at forward bases by November 14. The plan is to deploy the necessary deicing agent and equipment before snow falls, proactively address snow accumulation and icy conditions on major roads, and reduce travel inconveniences for residents.
Twenty-one vulnerable sections, including mountain roads where routes are at high risk of being cut off during heavy snowfall, have been designated for intensive management. The province will apply deicing agent to these sections in advance, increase road patrols, monitor conditions before and after snowfall, and prioritize snow-removal work there. It will also step up road safety management so visitors to Gangwon Province during the winter tourism season can travel safely.
As it did last winter, the province will also operate an emergency snow-removal support team to prepare for localized heavy snowfall concentrated in particular areas. The plan is to group the province’s 18 cities and counties into four regions and have them share equipment and personnel according to weather conditions and on-site needs, helping bridge differences in snow-removal capacity among local governments.
Lee Jong-gu, director of Gangwon Province’s Construction and Transportation Bureau, said, “The starting point of this plan is to ensure that residents’ winter journeys—from commutes and school trips to journeys to the hospital—are not disrupted.” He added, “We will closely operate the support system among cities and counties, organized into four regions, so people can receive the same level of snow-removal service wherever they live.” He then urged drivers, too, to “prepare winter equipment in advance and drive safely by slowing down when it snows and leaving plenty of distance between vehicles.”

[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter