North Gyeongsang Province activates winter disaster response, secures over 11,000 snow-removal workers

North Gyeongsang Province has activated a preemptive disaster response system to minimize casualties and property damage from heavy snowfall and cold snaps this winter.

The provincial government said Monday it will operate a winter natural disaster response system for four months through March 15 next year.

Targeting zero casualties, the province will maintain a round-the-clock situation management system and place staff on phased emergency duty in response to weather alerts.

To that end, authorities have secured 1,199 snow-removal vehicles and 11,473 snow-removal workers, and stockpiled 16,281 tons of snow-melting agents.

Earlier, on Friday, the province held an inter-agency winter disaster preparedness review at its disaster safety headquarters, with officials from 22 cities and counties across the province attending to assess each agency's response plans.

Authorities plan to intensively manage 850 disaster-prone areas and 327 sections prone to repeated icing, deploying 3,520 small snow-removal machines to enable rapid response from the onset of snowfall.

To prepare for the isolation of residents in mountain villages, the province has updated emergency contact networks covering 857 households — 1,430 people — across 112 villages in 13 cities and counties, and will pre-position emergency generators, satellite phones and relief supplies.

The province will also closely monitor 3,049 people living in 1,880 prefabricated temporary housing units across five cities and counties affected by recent wildfires, inspecting insulation facilities and anti-freeze heating cables on water pipes and establishing emergency communication systems.

In addition, the province will inspect heating facilities and operating conditions at 5,210 cold-weather shelters and strengthen welfare checks and home visits for 57,857 elderly residents enrolled in customized care services.

Using 1.06 billion won ($796,000) in cold-wave response funds, the province will distribute cold-weather supplies, install heated seats at bus stops and operate an emergency room surveillance system for cold-related illnesses.

"Winter natural disasters can cause significant damage through localized heavy snow and sudden cold snaps, making thorough advance preparation and rapid on-site response critical," said Choi Jeong-ae, the province's safety planning officer. "We will focus all administrative resources on carefully looking after vulnerable groups — including residents of temporary housing in wildfire-affected areas and the elderly — to ensure there are no casualties this winter."