Dignitaries, including Vice Minister for Trade and Energy Han Jin-hyun and Korea Electrical Safety Corp. (KESCO) 

President Lee Sang-kwon, cut the ribbons to open KESCO’s newly relocated headquarters in Wanju, one of 

the innovative cities in Jeollabuk-do, on June 16. (photos: KESCO)

Korea Electrical Safety Corp. (KESCO) President Lee Sang-kwon said, “I will devote myself to lowering the number of fires caused by electricity to the levels of advanced countries during my term.”

President Lee said in a recent interview that fires caused by electricity account for an average of 20 percent to 22 percent of each year’s total fires, higher than the 14.4 percent in Japan, 13.7 percent in Germany, and 12.9 percent in the United States.

Lee, who took office this past February, said his attention toward safety was extraordinary. In particular, he once served as a prosecutor in charge of investigating the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store in Seoul that claimed 502 lives in 1995.

Lee recalled that the department store gave in because the structure, originally designed as a four-story leisure facility, was expanded to five-stories illegally, and safety could only be guaranteed whenever rules are observed. 

Even though nineteen years have passed between the Sampoong Department Store collapse and the ferry Sewol disaster, Lee said the Koreans’ ‘go fast’ mentality and insensitivity to safety dies hard.

This is the reason why KESCO President Lee set his management tenet as “principled management” when he took office. 

KESCO has recently reorganized its structure, newly installing the Advanced Technology and Safety Service Department and the Electricity Disaster Reduction Department under the Safety Planning Office, and the International Cooperation Department under the Growth Engine Division. The reorganization was designed to innovate the way KESCO’s major responsibilities are carried out and to strengthen overseas market exploration. 

KESCO relocated its headquarters from Seoul to Wanju, one of the innovative cities in Jeollabuk-do, on June 16. Following the relocation, officials working in the newly relocated headquarters will be given incentives in performance and pay, Lee said.

Vice Minister for Trade and Energy Han Jin-hyun (left) and Korea Electrical Safety Corp. (KESCO) 

President Lee Sang-kwon speak at the ceremony. 

Emergency Footing against Damage Caused by Typhoons

KESCO headquarters and six provincial operations across the nation are on an emergency footing against floods and other damages caused by typhoons and other disasters.

Emergency contact points and chain of command will be upgraded and revamped, KESCO said. Manuals for practical responses according to each type of disaster will be upgraded, while each site’s response protocols for disasters will be also revamped. 

These and others steps are contained in the 2014 business plan KESCO unveiled in a report to the National Assembly Trade, Industry and Energy Committee. 

KESCO plans to launch checkups against some 70,000 power generators for emergency use to prepare for possible power stoppages if they are needed.