"AI to Predict Wildfires and Heavy Rain"... 25 Trillion Won to Overhaul Disaster Safety Net

2027 National Safety Management Implementation Plan Finalized
AI-Based Intelligent Monitoring and Space Situational Awareness Systems to Be Put into Operation

The government has finalized a national safety management blueprint worth 25 trillion won to address rapidly changing disaster conditions, allocating more than 16 trillion won to prevention alone.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 29th that it had finalized the “2027 National Safety Management Implementation Plan,” which sets out priority initiatives for each central administrative agency, following deliberations by the 66th Safety Policy Coordination Committee.

According to the ministry, the government plans to spend a total of 25 trillion 400 billion won on 451 disaster and safety management projects in 2027, based on the government’s proposed budget. In particular, it will strategically allocate 16 trillion 500 billion won, about 65% of the total budget, to the “prevention stage” to focus on strengthening preparedness.

To protect lives and advance science-based safety management, the government will focus on five key strategic tasks: preparing for new risks, building digital capabilities, ensuring a swift response on the ground, strengthening resilience, and working together with the public.

To address new risks, the government will draw up the “First Comprehensive Life Safety Plan” and strictly manage its target for reducing fatalities. It will also pursue enactment of the Social Disaster Countermeasures Act and introduce new helicopters for fighting large-scale wildfires. The government will strengthen measures against extreme climate conditions, including torrential rain and heat waves, and reinforce tailored safety nets for vulnerable groups.

Digital disaster management integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) will also be scaled up. The government will develop an AI-based intelligent CCTV monitoring system and a space situational awareness system to quickly analyze and disseminate signs of danger. It will also use an integrated data platform to apply a scientific approach to the entire process, from forecasting to decision-making.

To strengthen on-the-ground response capabilities, the government will deploy “Resident Evacuation Support Teams” nationwide and expand the areas served by doctor helicopters and firefighting helicopters carrying doctors to address gaps in emergency medical services. It will also establish a legal framework for local governments to set up dedicated units to assist disaster victims and their families, supporting their swift recovery.

The government also plans to expand public-private cooperation and promote a culture of voluntary safety throughout society, including by making basic occupational safety and health training mandatory for foreign workers.

Based on this implementation plan, the government will require cities and provinces to draw up their own safety management plans by the end of December, and cities, counties, and districts to do so by the end of February 2027. It aims to complete an integrated safety net linking the central and local governments.

Kim Gwangyong, head of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, “It is the government’s duty to protect people’s lives and safety amid climate change and technological advances. We will actively adopt advanced technologies, including AI, to build a safety management system that predicts disasters in advance and responds swiftly on the ground.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.