'Ensure no further damage in areas already hit by rain'

'Use village broadcasts, sirens and all available means to guide evacuations swiftly'

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook meets with a redevelopment association head and local lawmakers at the Jangwi 1-dong community center in Seoul on Saturday, following an inspection of the Jangwi 14 private redevelopment site in Seongbuk-gu. [Yonhap]
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook meets with a redevelopment association head and local lawmakers at the Jangwi 1-dong community center in Seoul on Saturday, following an inspection of the Jangwi 14 private redevelopment site in Seongbuk-gu. [Yonhap]

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook on Sunday issued an emergency directive ordering relevant agencies to take thorough precautions as heavy rain was forecast across the country.

Han said authorities must "ensure that areas already damaged by earlier rainfall do not suffer further harm," adding that "high-risk zones — including slopes near apartment buildings, landslide-prone areas, retaining walls adjacent to residential areas, steep inclines and aging housing — must be inspected in advance and managed with the utmost care."

She also said that given the heavy downpours expected in the early hours of Monday, authorities should prepare evacuation plans for vulnerable areas and, should a dangerous situation arise, "mobilize all available resources — village broadcasts, sirens and everything else — to guide residents to safety without delay."

Han added that agencies must maintain "airtight emergency readiness and information sharing" and pay close attention to the safety of personnel responding on the ground.

Following the directive, the government said it would launch preemptive inspections of high-risk areas nationwide and activate emergency duty systems, maintaining real-time coordination among relevant agencies ahead of the heavy rain expected in the early hours of Monday.


psj@heraldcorp.com