Leadership course targets director-level civil servants from ASEAN member states

Program linked to 2026 Korea Safety Industry Expo to share latest disaster management technology

Participants in the 16th ASEAN Disaster Management Capacity Building Course take part in program activities. [National Disaster and Safety Education Institute]
Participants in the 16th ASEAN Disaster Management Capacity Building Course take part in program activities. [National Disaster and Safety Education Institute]

The National Disaster and Safety Education Institute said Monday it is running an ASEAN Disaster Management Capacity Building Course for 17 director- and division chief-level civil servants from disaster management training institutions across nine ASEAN member states, with the program running through Saturday.

The course has been offered since 2020 to promote disaster management cooperation between South Korea and ASEAN member states and to develop specialist personnel in the field. During the first phase of the project, which ran from 2020 to 2025, a total of 321 participants completed the program.

The second phase, which begins this year, expands the curriculum beyond the theory-focused approach of the first phase to include simulation exercises and disaster evacuation drills, raising the level of practical expertise.

In this year's course — the first under the second phase — participants will study South Korea's advanced disaster management policies and ICT- and AI-based response techniques, with a focus on strengthening disaster management leadership across the ASEAN region and building participants' capacity for policy development and decision-making.

The training is also linked to the 2026 Korea Safety Industry Expo, where participants will examine the latest safety industry technologies and trends and take part in export consultation sessions.

A one-day conference held during the expo will cover AI-based disaster prediction and digital twin simulation, disaster early warning and alert technology including the Cell Broadcast Service, and disaster evacuation and response drills using advanced technologies.

Participants will also visit the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to learn its situation-reporting system, and tour the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters to observe inter-agency coordination and emergency communication procedures — combining classroom instruction, hands-on training and field experience.

Moon Young-hoon, director of the National Disaster and Safety Education Institute, said the course carries particular significance because it goes beyond conventional training by allowing participants to experience the latest disaster safety technologies and industries firsthand through the safety industry expo. "We hope this becomes an opportunity for ASEAN countries to acquire South Korea's AI- and digital technology-integrated disaster management systems and raise their disaster response capabilities to the next level," Moon said.


thlee@heraldcorp.com