Korean Expat Community for National Disasters

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Important mobile application for disaster  communication and first aid  when you are living in South Korea

Be safe everyone!

Today I will introduce you to a disaster-detecting application amid the mistakenly spread warning alert of evacuation to residents dwelling in Seoul and its neighborhood. I learned some news today, May 31st, 2023  from The Korean Times that  “North Korea fired what it claims to be a “space launch vehicle” southward Wednesday, however, it fell and submerged into the Yellow Sea, some 200 Km west of the South’s southwestern island of Eocheong”.    

Within a few minutes of the failed projectiles falling out to sea, an evacuation alert was sent from the South Korean government to Seoul residents to prepare for a possible evacuation after the trial of Pyongyang’s firing projectile southward. The mobile phone alert was sent at 6:41 a.m. by the Seoul city government just after the statement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff about the event that Korea fired what appeared to be a space launch vehicle. The interior ministry announced at 7:03 a.m. that the alert was sent by mistake.

In the meantime, both before the withdrawal of the alert message and after its withdrawal Seoul city citizens and other city dwellers were in a scary feeling due to the event learned from the news, as read from comment boxes of the online news media such as “The Korea times” and “The Korea Herald”.

Subsequently, some foreign citizens commented on the recommendation of using a “ mobile app” called “Emergency Ready app”, as a result, I would also inform and encourage the utilization of the app.

According to Korea Net:

The “ Emergency Ready app “ platform provides valuable information in urgent instances, launched on March 5, 2014. The app contains emergency contact numbers and teaches users how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This app can dial emergency contact numbers, such as 119, and show videos on how to do CPR, how to provide emergency care, and how to use a fire extinguisher or fire hydrant”. The app was developed by National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) to nurture the increasing need for emergency information amongst the Foreign population that doesn’t speak Korean, Tourists, and multicultural households. According to Korea Net, there was also a need from foreign embassies and the Ministry of foreign affairs”.

The application also provides emergency shelters for safe evacuation in the event of a disaster.

Peace out to you all!

Sources: The Korea Times, The Korea Herald, and Korean.Net