Prime Minister Kim Min-seok ordered thorough safety management in areas where large crowds are expected ahead of Halloween.
The prime minister's office said on the 24th that Kim issued these special instructions to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, local governments, the Korean National Police Agency, and the National Fire Agency.
Kim told the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to closely inspect the status of safety measures by each local government for areas where population surges are forecast. He also ordered that any shortcomings be immediately addressed.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) designated the period from today through 2 a.m. on Nov. 2 as the "Halloween special countermeasure period" and plans to conduct joint inspections in a total of 33 priority management areas, including Seoul, Gwangju, and Gyeonggi.
In addition, he instructed the Korean National Police Agency to deploy sufficient personnel to areas expected to be crowded to maintain order on the ground. He also asked for a firm response to safety violations.
Kim told the National Fire Agency to pre-position firefighting resources around major crowded areas and to respond quickly if fires or emergency accidents occur.
Kim said, "It is a time when national events such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) are being held concurrently, but nothing is more important than the people's lives and safety," adding, "All ministries and local governments will mobilize all available capabilities to prepare without gaps."