"As the industrial center of Asia with world-class firefighting research and development institutions, South Korea is one of the pioneers in modern fire management and one of Indonesia's key partner countries," the ministry's Acting Director General of Regional Administration Development, Adwil Amran, noted in a statement on Monday.
Amran remarked that his side paid a visit to South Korea from May 19 to May 24. During the visit, Amran and his entourage met with government and non-government stakeholders, including the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Fire Agency, Daegu Fire Department, Sejong Fire Department, Gyeonggi Disaster and Safety Headquarters, and the Korea Fire Institute (KFI).
The delegation also visited the Daegu Fire & Emergency Service as well as the 2024 Fire Expo.
At a meeting with representatives of the South Korean Ministry of Interior and Safety, Amran underscored the need to expand cooperation between both nations in dealing with fires, especially in terms of strengthening infrastructure and human resources.
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His side is currently encouraging the local government to strengthen its fire management, especially in achieving a response time of 15 minutes.
With the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) increasing the risk of fire, Indonesia could stand to benefit from South Korea's technological advancements, particularly in the area of fire infrastructure development, Amran stated.
Meanwhile, Chief of the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters, Seonho Cho, expressed hope that Indonesia's visit would intensify the sound relations between both nations in disaster and fire management.
"South Korea also needs training and to gain knowledge from Indonesia, especially in handling major disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis," Cho remarked.
The Indonesian delegation's trip is a follow-up to its South Korean counterpart's visit to the 105th Firefighters Anniversary series held by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Surabaya, East Java, on March 1, 2024.
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Translator: Narda Margaretha S, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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