The key to this ‘2026 Flood Response System Inspection Meeting’ chaired by President Hoi-cheon Kim is to maximize ‘actual operability.’ While past manuals assumed standardized situations, the response system is now being reorganized to be more flexible and agile in line with heavy rain patterns that have become more variable due to climate change. The use of a digital platform called video conferencing to simultaneously share facility status and emergency action guidelines for each power plant by business leaders across the country can be interpreted as an intention to build an integrated defense system that goes beyond the constraints of physical distance. In particular, it is noteworthy that all possible defects in major facilities are investigated, and the intensity of preliminary inspections has been significantly increased so that key equipment such as emergency generators can be operated immediately in a crisis.

Another axis emphasized by KHNP in this inspection is safety management for ‘coexistence with the local community.’ Since hydroelectric and pumped storage facilities are operated based on dams, they have a significant impact on residents in downstream areas. Accordingly, KHNP did not stop at simply protecting the safety inside the power plant, but also closely examined the system that shares dam water level control and discharge information with related organizations in real time. The strategy is to secure transparency in information sharing and solidify a safety network that communicates with the local community so that residents can feel at ease even in sudden water level changes due to abnormal weather. This goes beyond technical response and can be read as a determination to practice social responsibility as a public enterprise that prioritizes the safety of local residents.

Meanwhile, in addition to its basic safety management work, KHNP is taking multifaceted steps by linking its corporate culture with the value of carbon neutrality. The 'Windy Hill National Hill Climb Competition' held recently at the Gyeongju headquarters was a symbolic event to share carbon neutrality practices as an energy company with the public. The management method of ensuring safety through thorough disaster response during severe times such as floods and expanding contact with the local community through sports and cultural activities during normal times clearly demonstrates the scope of 'safety management' pursued by KHNP. This proves that safety management is not a closed system confined within the power plant, but an open system that works with the local community to create a sustainable future.

This flood response inspection will be a measure of KHNP's response capabilities to natural disasters that may occur in the future. It is very significant that we have increased the precision of dam management and raised awareness throughout the organization so that on-site judgment can be exercised immediately, beyond mechanical operation of manuals, even in unexpected situations. In particular, the biggest achievement of this inspection is that the sense of duty that flood response goes beyond simple facility maintenance and is a core bastion that protects the lives and property of the people is deeply rooted within the organization. Only when technological preparedness is combined with a high level of safety awareness among members, a solid safety net that will not be shaken by any extreme weather events can be completed.