The Incheon Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Chan-dae) held a ceremony on the afternoon of the 21st in the main conference hall of City Hall to mark the 51st anniversary of the founding of the Civil Defense Corps, honoring the dedication of corps members who have served on the front lines. The event was arranged to reflect on the meaning and responsibility of civil defense as the guardian of community safety in an era when disasters are growing more complex and larger in scale.
 [코리안투데이] The 51st anniversary ceremony for the founding of the Civil Defense Corps held by Incheon City © 장형임 기자 |
The ceremony was attended by some 200 people, including Mayor Park Chan-dae, Incheon City Council Chair Park Jong-hyuk, and other key city officials, along with civil defense corps members from the 11 counties and districts.
At the ceremony, awards were presented in recognition of thorough preparedness and dedicated service that contributed to the advancement of civil defense. The Incheon Transit Corporation received a Presidential Citation in acknowledgment of its outstanding achievements, while three meritorious individuals — including civil defense corps members and public officials who contributed to citizen safety and the development of civil defense operations — were awarded commendations from the Mayor of Incheon.
Since its establishment in 1975, the Civil Defense Corps has served for more than half a century as a pillar protecting the lives and daily routines of citizens amid national crises and various disaster scenes. In recent years, as unpredictable risks such as natural disasters driven by climate change and new types of emergencies have increased beyond traditional security threats, the role of civil defense in sustaining local communities has grown even more important.
Beyond a mere listing of administrative achievements, the event carried significance as an occasion to reaffirm who forms the frontline safety net that residents can rely on in an era when disasters have become routine. This is because, amid a rapidly shifting international landscape and the climate crisis, a disaster-preparedness system in which citizens themselves take part ultimately becomes the foundation of community safety.
In his commemorative address, Mayor Park Chan-dae emphasized, ‘To respond swiftly and accurately in times of crisis, it is more important than anything to be familiar with one’s duties at one’s post in ordinary times and to maintain a state of readiness as if in an actual situation.’ He added, ‘Incheon City places protecting the lives and safety of its citizens at the top of its municipal priorities, and will do its utmost to build a safety-first city where everyone can live with peace of mind.’
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