Chuncheon runs 24-hour response on prices, traffic and safety over Chuseok

Chuncheon will run a rapid-response situation room to handle disaster and safety incidents and civil complaints during the Chuseok holiday from Sept. 24-27.

Mayor Yuk Dong-han said in a briefing that day on the city's "Comprehensive Chuseok Countermeasures Plan" that Sept. 14-27 would be an intensive response period. During that period, the city will operate a 24-hour system managing the livelihood economy, public safety, civil complaints and transportation.

A price-monitoring situation room will run from Sept. 1 to Oct. 2 to track prices of holiday staple goods and local price trends.

The three areas under special focus during the holiday are the livelihood economy, emergency care and public safety, and household waste management.

To help stabilize the local economy, the city will expand the September issuance of the Chuncheon Love Gift Certificate from 8 billion won ($5.98 million) to 12 billion won. The discount rate will remain at 10 percent.

The monthly purchase limit per person will remain at 450,000 won to keep the boost centered on real local demand, and the city will also push to increase spending at traditional markets.

Chuncheon will hold a Chuseok shopping event at Jungang Market on Sept. 21 to hear from merchants there. A city employee campaign encouraging spending at traditional markets will continue through Sept. 23. Parking will be allowed temporarily on roads around eight traditional markets and marketplaces.

From Sept. 16-20, Dongbu Market and Hupyeong Market will refund up to 30 percent of purchases of fresh agricultural and livestock products in Onnuri gift certificates. The refund is capped at 20,000 won per person during the period. The city will also continue interest subsidies for low-credit, low-income small business owners and keep operating the public-private food delivery app Ddaenggyeoyo.

The city will also leave no gaps in emergency care and public safety management, running an emergency care situation room to maintain a 24-hour response system.

In Chuncheon, Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital is designated as the regional emergency medical center, and Kangwon National University Hospital serves as the local emergency medical center. Insung Hospital and the Armed Forces Chuncheon Hospital are designated as emergency medical facilities. Information on on-duty clinics, hospitals and pharmacies is available on the Chuncheon Public Health Center website.

The Chuncheon Public Health Center and the Jogyo and Seosang public health clinics will also provide care on designated holiday days. The city will run an emergency infectious disease response system to quickly identify and respond to outbreaks of waterborne and foodborne illnesses, including mass diarrhea cases.

On household waste, residents can dispose of trash from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sept. 25 and Sept. 27. Disposal will be banned on Sept. 23, Sept. 24 and Sept. 26. On Sept. 26, the day after Chuseok, the city will deploy about 60 vehicles and 180 workers for a special waste collection drive. During the holiday, street cleaning and intensive collection will focus on major roads, old downtown areas, university districts, commercial zones and large residential complexes.

Chuncheon will also run its disaster and safety situation room and integrated control center around the clock. Disaster management specialists and an integrated control team will monitor conditions and respond to crime and disasters through CCTV surveillance.

To ease traffic congestion during the holiday travel rush, the city will operate a special traffic management situation room. It will inspect 2,105 buses, taxis and other transport vehicles beforehand, and 49 village bus routes will keep running their normal 462 daily trips throughout the holiday. Major roads and traffic safety facilities will also be serviced in advance.

Emergency repair crews will be dispatched to the scene of any problems involving water and sewage systems, roads, streetlights or security lighting. Safety inspections of multiuse facilities, traditional markets, ferry and boat facilities, and major tourist sites will be completed before the holiday begins. On Sept. 21, joint patrols involving civilians, officials and police will check crime-vulnerable areas across the city.

"Even during the holiday, when citizens rest, the administration must not stop," Yuk said. "We will pay closer attention to areas that directly affect residents' lives, from emergency care and disaster response to trash collection and traffic management." He added, "The holiday is a time for families and neighbors to share affection, but it is also a period when people worry about grocery costs, emergency care, waste disposal, traffic and safety. We will respond to livelihood issues with greater care, to safety with no gaps, and to public inconvenience more swiftly."