District holds disaster safety headquarters inauguration at snow-removal base Friday; inspects field readiness
Smart heating cables and brine-spray systems expanded on steep roads to strengthen early response
Seoul's Eunpyeong-gu held an inauguration ceremony Friday for its Disaster Safety Headquarters (Snow Removal) at the snow-removal base inside the Jingwan-dong Urban Safety Complex, formally launching its 2026–2027 winter snow-removal plan to get ahead of snowfall and keep residents safe.
The Jingwan-dong Urban Safety Complex, where the ceremony was held, serves as a central hub for the integrated management of vehicles and equipment needed for snow removal, flood response and road maintenance. The facility spans 5,953 square meters across two below-ground floors and was completed in December last year after breaking ground in August 2023.
The snow-removal base inside the complex consolidates snow-removal agents and key equipment in one location, enabling rapid deployment to the field when snow falls.
Eunpyeong-gu will operate the winter Disaster Safety Headquarters from Sunday through March 15 next year — a four-month period. The headquarters comprises 13 working teams at the district office and 16 teams at neighborhood community centers, and will activate tiered emergency duty shifts based on snowfall forecasts from the Korea Meteorological Administration.
For this winter's snow-removal operations, the district plans to deploy 1,938 personnel and 124 pieces of equipment across 10 categories, and has already secured 2,200 tons of snow-removal agents.
The district has also expanded its smart remote snow-removal infrastructure to enable faster early response. Heating cables were newly installed on four sloped roads, and fixed brine-spray systems were added at two locations. At eight ice-prone stretches, 44 mobile brine-spray units have been leased and positioned.
To protect pedestrian safety, the district will station snow-removal crews on sidewalks with heavy public transit foot traffic and step up patrols. Sloped school zones and areas around older apartment complexes have been designated as priority "community-focused snow-removal sites," and 32 additional compact snow-removal machines for sidewalks and back roads have been secured.
Eunpyeong-gu District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung thanked snow-removal workers for their efforts to keep residents safe and urged them to prepare in advance for snowfall and follow safety protocols on the job. Kim also called on residents to join the "clear snow in front of your home and shop" campaign and to use public transportation as much as possible during heavy snowfall.
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