South Korea to boost local governments' disaster response through hands-on training

The Ministry of Interior and Safety announced Wednesday that it is running the "2026 Second Senior Disaster and Safety Management Course" at the National Disaster and Safety Education Institute in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province.

The course targets deputy heads of local governments and safety officers — at the director-general, bureau chief and executive level — at disaster management agencies. Operating since 2018 under the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management, it is designed to strengthen the disaster response capabilities of senior managers who oversee disaster and safety management at their respective agencies.

Wednesday's training comprised five subjects, including a special lecture by Kim Gwang-yong, head of the ministry's Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, on the direction of national disaster and safety policy.

The program placed particular emphasis on building on-site command skills through role-play exercises in which participants respond directly to simulated disaster scenarios.

Moon Yeong-hun, president of the National Disaster and Safety Education Institute, said rapid judgment and response by on-site commanders are critical to minimizing casualties when a disaster strikes. "We will run the curriculum with substance so that participants can sharpen their real-world response capabilities and put what they have learned into practice," he said.