The city of Incheon will conduct its 2026 Ulchi exercise over four days, from August 18 to 21, in an integrated civilian-government-military effort. This year’s exercise stands out for treating a response to a drone attack targeting an energy complex as live field training and for sharply expanding hands-on programs for citizens.
 [코리안투데이] Incheon’s Ulchi exercise, a drone attack response drill at an energy complex © 장형임 기자 |
The Incheon Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Chan-dae) announced that it will conduct the 2026 Ulchi exercise over four days, from August 18 to 21, with some 3,800 personnel taking part from 52 agencies and businesses, including the city, its districts and counties, affiliated bodies, related organizations, military units, police, fire services, and priority-managed enterprises.
The Ulchi exercise is a government-level drill carried out each year to inspect the nation’s emergency-preparedness posture. This year, Incheon’s exercise begins with mastering the procedures for shifting from a peacetime system to a wartime emergency-response system. Through the emergency mobilization of public officials and the establishment of a wartime organizational structure, the city will rehearse the wartime-transition process, and it will practice integrated response procedures through a tabletop exercise that assumes a complex crisis consistent with an actual war situation. It will then carry out both a discussion of wartime policy tasks, which identifies anticipated problems by wartime scenario and prepares improvement measures, and live training that strengthens on-site response capabilities.
In particular, this year’s live training is themed on a ‘drone attack response drill at an energy complex,’ reflecting recent domestic and international security conditions. Assuming a situation in which an energy facility designated a key national installation is struck by an enemy drone attack, the drill will carry out the full response process as if in a real situation, from firefighting and rescue to counter-drone measures, explosive ordnance disposal, and facility restoration. Through this, the city plans to reinforce the response capabilities of the agencies involved and to establish a systematic and practical framework for recovering damage to key national installations.
A notable feature of this year’s Ulchi exercise is the expansion of programs in which citizens take part and gain hands-on experience directly. These have been designed so that citizens can actually learn the emergency action guidelines for the public, with an emphasis on raising their awareness of security and safety. It is an attempt to bring security into the realm of everyday preparation that citizens undertake themselves, rather than treating it as a task for administrative agencies alone.
Together with the Army’s 17th Infantry Division, Incheon will offer opportunities to experience military culture, including an exhibition of military equipment and supplies, hands-on wearing of combat gear, and tasting of hardtack biscuits. The Incheon Fire Headquarters will run training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), practice in using fire extinguishers, and a ride-along experience for citizens in yielding the road to fire trucks, all to help people cope with emergencies. The Incheon branch of the Korea Freedom Federation plans to hold a photo exhibition on the Korean War and peaceful reunification so that citizens can reflect on their outlook on security.
Mayor Park Chan-dae said, ‘The Ulchi exercise is a very important drill for inspecting the nation’s emergency-preparedness posture and for securing the safety of citizens in a crisis.’ He added, ‘Through a practical, field-oriented Ulchi exercise carried out together with citizens, we will make this an occasion to underscore once again the importance of security, which is directly tied to the safety of Incheon’s 3.05 million residents, and we will do our utmost to establish a regional defense system capable of rapid response in the event of an emergency.’
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화코리안브랜드대상 신청 최고경영인대상 신청 소비자만족도대상 신청
<저작권자 ⓒ 코리안투데이(The Korean Today) 무단전재 및 재배포 금지>
