Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said on the 22nd that the government will do its utmost to ensure there is not the slightest neglect in protecting the lives and property of the people from wildfires.
After observing the "integrated wildfire suppression drill" held in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, that day, Kim said, seeing the helicopters scorched from wildfire suppression, he realized how hard the Korea Forest Service suppression crews had worked in harsh conditions to protect public safety, and stated accordingly.
About 250 people from institutions in wildfire response fields, including Gongju forestry and fire services, took part in the drill that day.
Before the drill, Kim said that, as seen in the spring wildfires, their patterns are shifting to ultrafast and ultra-large scale, and added that no longer can one or two ministries or local governments respond in previous ways and still protect the public from wildfires.
He went on to say that the wildfire response paradigm must change, adding that this is why the president, from right after taking office, emphasized building an immediate, pan-ministerial wildfire suppression system, including the early deployment of military helicopters.
Kim inspected related equipment such as wildfire suppression vehicles, weather observation vehicles, and drones, asking detailed questions about how they are operated.
He then emphasized thorough wildfire prevention, initial response mobilizing all available resources, meticulous preparation of resident evacuation systems, and training that mirrors real-world conditions.