The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 16th that it checked preparations for heavy snow in the greater Seoul area.
Oh Byung-kwon, head of natural disaster management at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), visited a snow removal forward base in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, that day to review the interagency information-sharing system. He then called for strengthening readiness so that there are no gaps in snow removal at boundary sections of roads in adjacent areas and at highway junctions.
Deputy Minister Oh then visited the Seoul Northern Road Office to inspect the status of deicer stockpiles and equipment management.
The inspection was arranged in response to shortcomings in snow removal between adjacent areas during the heavy snowfall in the greater Seoul area on Dec. 4 last year. It was aimed at confirming whether interagency snow removal cooperation is functioning properly in the field.
Deputy Minister Oh said, "The government will strengthen cooperation among related agencies to minimize public inconvenience and damage caused by gaps in snow removal during snowfall," and added, "We ask the public to actively take part in safety practices such as making way for snowplows and clearing snow in front of their homes and shops."