The National Fire Agency explained in detail the differences in firefighting personnel between the BTS (BTS) Gwanghwamun performance and the Daejeon fire area, correcting false reports.
On the afternoon of the 22nd the National Fire Agency wrote on its official social media, "The National Fire Agency will fulfill the state's responsibility for both disaster response and safety management of large-scale densely populated events," and "We offer our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the repose of the deceased. #National Fire Agency #WeExplain #FactCheck
#DisasterResponse #DaejeonFire," and mentioned the difference in police personnel between the BTS Gwanghwamun performance and the Daejeon fire.
Earlier, one media outlet reported an article suggesting that "rather than deploying large-scale resources to Gwanghwamun, more attention should have been paid to the Daejeon disaster." It reported that a national fire mobilization order was issued at the BTS Gwanghwamun concert site and 800 firefighting personnel were deployed, while 200 firefighting personnel were deployed to the car parts factory fire in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, where 14 people died.
However, according to the National Fire Agency, that was not true. A total of 733 firefighting personnel were deployed to the Daejeon fire scene, and of the 800 at the BTS Gwanghwamun site, 109 were administrative staff supporting situation management rather than on-site response personnel.
The National Fire Agency said, "The actual number of firefighting personnel deployed to the Daejeon Daedeok-gu fire scene is 733, which differs from the figure in the article," and "The approximately 200 personnel mentioned in the article refer to the initial response phase of the fire; the total number of firefighting personnel deployed to the Daejeon Daedeok-gu fire scene was 733. Simply comparing the personnel at the two sites as 800 versus 200 is a clear factual error," it pointed out.
It went on to draw a line, saying, "'Post-disaster response' and 'preemptive crowd control' are not appropriate comparison targets because the spatial constraints and the nature of the risks are different." "The resources deployed for disaster safety management are calculated according to 'spatial characteristics' and 'potential hazard scale.' The Daejeon factory fire was a disaster that occurred in a 'localized single building,' and if thousands of personnel were deployed simultaneously into a confined space, serious bottlenecks in movement would occur, which would instead create fatal obstacles to rescue operations," it emphasized.
In particular, the National Fire Agency said, "Accordingly, we concentrated the tactical maximum personnel allowed in that space and advanced special equipment such as unmanned firefighting robots and unmanned high-pressure water suppression vehicles," and "In contrast, the Gwanghwamun concert site is an 'open large-scale space' where hundreds of thousands of people gather. An uncontrolled mass crowd presents the risk of secondary large-scale disasters such as crushing in itself," adding, "Also, of the roughly 800 personnel assigned to the concert site, 109 are administrative staff supporting situation management rather than on-site response personnel. The personnel actually deployed to the site were essential defensive personnel required to form physical movement lines in the wide space and disperse crowd density to prevent an unexpected second disaster, not preferential support."
Finally the National Fire Agency added, "We will do our best to deal with the Daejeon factory fire and will unwaveringly carry out the state's rightful duty of proactive safety management at large-scale densely populated event sites," and "We pray for the repose of those who lost their precious lives in the Daejeon factory fire and offer our deep condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families."
Meanwhile, on the 21st BTS held 'BTS comeback live: ARIRANG' at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
On the day of the performance, 22,000 seats were prepared at Gwanghwamun Square, and HYBE estimated about 104,000 spectators gathered. For security and safety, about 15,000 people including police, firefighters and public officials were deployed, making it an unprecedented large-scale project.
In fact, this 'Gwanghwamun performance' would not have been possible without the affection and consideration of Seoul citizens who love BTS. The members knew this, so from the beginning to the end of the performance they did not forget their 'gratitude and thanks.' Throughout the concert the comment "we are grateful and sorry" did not stop.
BTS's agency HYBE also issued an official statement on the morning of the 22nd, saying, "We sincerely thank everyone for the warm support and consideration shown at yesterday's BTS performance in Gwanghwamun," and "First, we deeply thank the authorities for allowing us to use Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun, which symbolize Korea, as the venue. We understand well that Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun are spaces where Korea's history and identity and today's culture live together. HYBE is very honored to have been able to present a performance to the world from this place," it said.
It added, "We deeply thank the police, fire services and government and local officials who worked to ensure the safe completion of this performance. We also offer apologies and thanks to citizens around Gwanghwamun, nearby merchants, office workers and visitors," and "Because this was a performance watched by the world, unavoidable measures such as traffic and building control and searches for dangerous items were implemented. We sincerely apologize to those who experienced inconvenience in their important schedules and daily lives, including people passing through Gwanghwamun Square. Thanks to broad understanding and consideration we were able to create a meaningful time," expressing gratitude and apologies for safety measures such as body searches.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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