Jeju Province Wins Top Prize in Tabletop Exercise at National Disaster Emergency Medical Competition

Joint Team from Public Health Centers, Fire Services and Jeju Halla Hospital

Assesses Triage of Multiple Casualties

Reviews System for Dispersing and Transporting Critically Ill Patients

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province won the top prize in the tabletop exercise category at the 2026 National Disaster Emergency Medical Response Comprehensive Training Competition, organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The province took part with a joint team comprising relevant organizations, including public health centers, fire services, Jeju Halla Hospital, and the Jeju Emergency Medical Support Center of the National Medical Center. The team was recognized for its ability to operate on-site emergency medical stations and coordinate the dispersal and transport of patients when multiple casualties occur.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province won the top prize in the tabletop exercise category at the 2026 National Disaster Emergency Medical Services Comprehensive Training Competition, hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Photo provided by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.

Jeju Province placed first in the tabletop exercise category at the competition, held in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, over two days, November 10 and 11.

This latest award follows first-place finishes overall at the 2022 and 2024 competitions and a first-place finish in the tabletop exercise category in 2025.

A total of 177 people took part in this year's competition, organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. They included rapid response teams from public health centers in 15 cities and provinces, disaster medical assistance teams (DMATs) from regional disaster hospitals, and fire service paramedics. Jeju's team comprised 13 personnel from the provincial government, public health centers, the provincial fire headquarters, Jeju Halla Hospital, and the Jeju Emergency Medical Support Center.

The competition assessed coordination among relevant organizations at disaster sites with large numbers of casualties through several tasks, including a tabletop exercise, a disaster medical challenge, and the use of the Public Safety-Long Term Evolution (PS-LTE) network.

In the tabletop exercise, participants followed a simulated disaster scenario and used maps and models to set up and operate an on-site emergency medical station, triage patients, provide emergency care, and coordinate the dispersal and transport of patients to different hospitals. The exercise focused on assessing the judgment of the on-site command team and the division of responsibilities among organizations.

Given the island's geography, which limits transport by land, the accuracy of initial triage and the speed of decisions on dispersing and transporting patients were key assessment criteria. These measures are critical to preventing hospitals in the province from running out of beds during a major disaster.

For a month before the competition, the provincial joint team received specialized training support from the Jeju Emergency Medical Support Center and conducted practical exercises, including interagency communications and the integrated operation of on-site command posts.

Jo Sangbeom, director of safety and health for Jeju Province, said, "This award is the result of relevant disaster response organizations coordinating in advance and continuing to conduct joint exercises. We will continue to strengthen the disaster emergency medical response system through regular practical education and training, and focus on protecting the lives and safety of Jeju residents."

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