Yangcheon-gu District Mayor Lee Gi-jae delivers opening remarks at the start of the Ulchi exercise.
Yangcheon-gu District Mayor Lee Gi-jae delivers opening remarks at the start of the Ulchi exercise.

Yangcheon-gu kicked off its 2026 Ulchi CPX on Tuesday, holding an initial situation briefing and discussion of key wartime agenda items at the district's integrated operations center to assess readiness for national emergencies.

The Ulchi CPX is designed to strengthen rapid and systematic response capabilities in the event of a national emergency such as war or armed conflict, and to evaluate coordination among relevant agencies and the effectiveness of each institution's contingency plans. The exercise runs four days through Friday.

District Mayor Lee Gi-jae led the session, joined by senior district officials and representatives from the Yangcheon Police Station, Yangcheon Fire Department and the 3rd Battalion of the 213th Brigade. Participants received the initial situation briefing, then focused discussions on two key agenda items: controlling civilian movement during wartime and protecting critical national facilities, with each agency outlining its roles and response measures.

The session examined scenarios involving unexpected contingencies in a wartime setting, with participants reviewing areas for improvement to minimize civilian casualties and strengthen interagency cooperation and the effectiveness of the Chungmu Plan.

During the exercise, the district plans to conduct wartime organizational drills to familiarize staff with emergency duties and procedures, as well as realistic scenario-based training including protection drills for critical national facilities and civil defense evacuation exercises open to residents — all aimed at bolstering crisis response capabilities.

"Today's security threats go beyond military conflict to endanger critical national infrastructure and the daily lives of citizens," Lee said. "It is essential that we build a response framework capable of keeping residents' lives and district administrative functions stable even in an emergency." He added that the district would use the exercise to closely examine each agency's roles and coordination mechanisms, establishing a local security posture capable of responding swiftly to any crisis.


seouldream01@heraldcorp.com