Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (center), Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jeong-bo and Capital Defense Command Commander Eo Chang-jun pose for a photo after signing an MOU on integrated defense and joint emergency response at the 2026 Seoul Integrated Defense Council meeting at Seoul Fire School in Eunpyeong-gu on Wednesday. [Yonhap]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (center), Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jeong-bo and Capital Defense Command Commander Eo Chang-jun pose for a photo after signing an MOU on integrated defense and joint emergency response at the 2026 Seoul Integrated Defense Council meeting at Seoul Fire School in Eunpyeong-gu on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government held the "2026 Seoul Integrated Defense Council Meeting" at Seoul Fire School in Eunpyeong-gu on Wednesday. Participating agencies agreed to strengthen inter-agency cooperation to address a range of crises and security threats, the city said.

The Seoul Integrated Defense Council meeting is an annual gathering of senior officials from key national defense sectors to assess the city's integrated defense posture and discuss ways to improve it.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon presided over the meeting in his capacity as chairman of the integrated defense council. About 300 people attended, including council members and senior commanders from the military, police and fire department.

This year's meeting was organized to further solidify a joint response framework among relevant agencies in the event of an integrated defense emergency or other urgent situation.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Army's Capital Defense Command and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency signed a three-way MOU, committing to swift consultation and action in emergencies to contain situations early and minimize harm to citizens.

During the meeting, the National Intelligence Service presented an outlook on North Korean affairs, the Capital Defense Command outlined the direction of its counter-drone systems development, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government reported on preparations for the Ulchi CPX. Experts on integrated defense also shared their views, and the agencies reviewed their cooperation framework.

Before the meeting, the Seoul Metropolitan Government's fire and disaster management headquarters, the Capital Defense Command and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency showcased their latest field-response equipment at an exhibition and demonstration, featuring drones and AI-based devices.

"Close cooperation among all agencies is paramount to effectively responding to the diverse types of crises and security threats we face," Oh said. "We will do our utmost to further solidify our cooperation framework so that we can protect the lives and safety of citizens under any circumstances."


ken@heraldcorp.com