Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung said on the 13th, "As of Feb. 10 this year, the area damaged by wildfires has increased about 16 times compared to last year," and "Without public participation, it is difficult to prevent large wildfires with the government's efforts alone."
The government on this day issued a "public statement on wildfire prevention" jointly with seven related agencies. The agencies are the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Korea Forest Service, the Korean National Police Agency, and the National Fire Agency.
The statement was issued to ask the public to actively participate in wildfire prevention, including banning illegal burning, to block large wildfires in advance.
The Minister said, "The wildfire crisis alert level was raised to 'alert' in January for the first time on record, increasing wildfire risk," and "Wildfires that have occurred this year have increased significantly in both the number of cases and the area damaged compared to the same period last year."
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), there were 89 wildfires from January to Feb. 10 this year, up from 52 in the same period last year. The damaged area also grew sharply to 247.14 ha, compared with 15.58 ha last year.
In response, the government moved up the spring wildfire caution period from the original Feb. 1 to Jan. 20. The Korea Forest Service activated the Central Disaster Response Headquarters early, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety launched the Support Headquarters for Countermeasures early.
In addition, to contain wildfires early, all available helicopters from the Korea Forest Service, the military, fire authorities, and local governments are being deployed, with all personnel and resources mobilized.
The Minister said, "When entering mountains to visit ancestral graves during the Lunar New Year holiday, do not carry flammable items such as lighters; refrain from actions that can create sparks, such as cooking or smoking; and do not burn agricultural by-products or trash near forests," adding, "If you detect smoke or embers, report immediately to 119 or 112."
She added, "We will tighten crackdowns on careless behavior and take strict action against violators under a zero-tolerance principle in accordance with relevant laws," and said, "Please join forces so we can protect our precious homes and peaceful daily lives."