Core disaster response functions to remain uninterrupted even during emergencies
Risk factors and response strategies identified; ongoing education, training and improvement to strengthen on-the-ground readiness
Yongsan-gu in Seoul obtained ISO 22301 international certification for its Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) for disaster response functions and held a certification award ceremony Wednesday.
The district is the first among Seoul's autonomous districts to earn the certification in this field, establishing a foundation to sustain core disaster response functions — protecting residents' lives and safety — even during disasters or operational disruptions.
ISO 22301 is the international standard for business continuity management systems established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It sets out criteria for response frameworks and procedures to ensure organizations can maintain critical functions and recover swiftly even when operations are disrupted by unforeseen events such as disasters or accidents. Yongsan-gu has built a system to maintain its core disaster response functions in accordance with these standards.
The district divided its disaster response process into four stages — early warning detection, initial response, emergency response and incident recovery — and analyzed 13 collaborative functions, including overall situation management, lifestyle support, communications support, facility restoration, traffic management, medical and quarantine services, rescue support and disaster public relations. Based on this analysis, it conducted a business impact assessment covering 50 detailed tasks, identifying the effects of operational disruptions, target recovery times, minimum service levels to be maintained and the resources required.
The certification's significance lies not merely in establishing a documentation system that meets international standards, but in proactively reviewing the organization, personnel, resources, work procedures and contingency plans needed to sustain core response functions during a disaster, and in putting an operational framework in place.
The district plans to continuously review and refine its disaster response system based on the international standard. It will use education and training to verify that response procedures work in actual field conditions, and will incorporate lessons learned from that process to strengthen the practical effectiveness of its disaster response.
"This certification is an opportunity to objectively assess our district's disaster response system against international standards and advance it to the next level," Yongsan-gu District Mayor Kim Kyung-dae said. "Rather than resting on this achievement, we will ensure that through continuous review and improvement, the core functions that protect residents' lives and safety operate without fail in any situation."
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