Social disasters encompass incidents such as fires, collapses, explosions, environmental pollution accidents, and densely populated accidents, arising from negligence or intentional actions. Unlike natural disasters, social disasters have diverse and unpredictable occurrences.

Disasters do not occur suddenly but rather result from a series of repeated minor incidents. By thoroughly examining even minor issues and promptly correcting any mistakes, prevention becomes possible.

In the event of a disaster, acquiring and following the action guidelines for each disaster type by disaster management authorities, support agencies, and citizens can help minimize damages. Therefore, regular training in disaster response action guidelines is crucial.

The "Korea Safety Transformation Focus Safety Inspection" is a nationwide disaster prevention policy organized by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. It involves a joint inspection by citizens and officials to assess the safety management status across the country for a designated period.

This year, from April 17 to June 16, a total of 3,270 participants, including public officials, private experts, civic organizations, and ordinary citizens, took part in the "2023 Focus Safety Inspection," inspecting a total of 830 facilities, including aging and accident-prone sites.

Gwangju City received high evaluations, winning the "Prime Minister's Award" for its active participation of department heads, collaborative efforts with civic organizations and related agencies, and the use of advanced equipment such as drones and fiber optics for disaster-prone facilities like steep slopes.

The "Safety Korea Training" is a comprehensive training exercise conducted by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security to evaluate the nationwide disaster response system at a government-wide level for large-scale disasters. This year's training included a simultaneous integrated exercise for the city and district disaster safety headquarters, playing the role of a control tower during a disaster. They checked support requirements for each task force under the command of department heads, including the mobilization of personnel and equipment for rescue operations and training for preventing damage expansion, earning recognition as an "Excellent Organization."

In the safety training conducted in June, 21 organizations participated under the theme of "Composite Disaster Response Due to Crowd Density" at the Sky Garden of the National Asian Culture Center. They incorporated advanced disaster safety technologies such as people counting, facial recognition AI drones, and real-time communication using disaster safety communication devices (PS LTE). The training simulated the entire process from reporting and responding to disaster situations to recovery and relief, providing a realistic training experience.

Previously, training was conducted for major types of social disasters. This has now been expanded to cover all 41 field action manuals, allowing for "Customized Emergency Drills by Disaster Type." Each disaster management department trained for action procedures specific to their disaster types. They focused on swift situation reporting, command and control, and role division among relevant agencies, addressing actions to be taken at disaster sites. Any shortcomings identified during the training process will be rectified and reflected in future exercises.

The "Focus Safety Inspection" and "Safety Korea Training" would not be possible without the cooperation of relevant agencies and organizations. The active collaboration of local districts, neighborhood districts, fire departments, safety volunteer groups, Gwangju Safety Support Team, safety management advisory group, Korea Institute of Light Technology, HogreenAir, and citizens made these initiatives successful.

To create a safe Gwangju, prevention, preparedness, and response require collective efforts beyond the capacity of local governments alone. Everyone must work together to realize 'Safe Gwangju.' Prioritizing and practicing safety in our daily lives is crucial.

Ensuring the protection of precious individuals from disasters and building a whole and secure community necessitate the attention and participation of the entire Gwangju community. Love is the pursuit of the well-being of neighbors and the community. Safety is the embodiment of love for oneself and the community.

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