GBS, the Goryeoin Village’s internet and radio station (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
GWANGJU, Jul. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – In a groundbreaking move, the Gwangju Goryeoin Village in South Korea has launched the country’s first Russian-language emergency alert system, addressing a long-standing communication gap for its ethnic Korean residents from post-Soviet states.
On June 22, residents of the Goryeoin Village in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, received their first heavy rain warning via text message in Russian. This moment marked a significant breakthrough for the community, many of whom have struggled to understand emergency alerts due to language barriers.
The initiative, which began on June 19, utilizes GBS (Goryeoin Broadcasting System), the village’s internet and radio station, to translate and disseminate official emergency messages.
Using open AI technology, GBS can swiftly translate alerts from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety or local governments into Russian, delivering critical information to ethnic Koreans and Russian speakers within one minute of the original broadcast.
As of July 2, approximately 200 people have registered to receive these Russian-language alerts. The impact extends beyond individual subscribers, as recipients often share the translated messages in group chats, effectively reaching most of the village’s residents in real-time.
For many Goryeoin – ethnic Koreans who migrated from post-Soviet states – the language barrier in emergency communications has been a significant challenge in their ancestral homeland.
This issue mirrors recent calls from civil society groups supporting migrant workers, who have demanded multilingual emergency alerts following an earthquake in Buan, North Jeolla Province, on June 12.
Park, a 72-year-old ethnic Korean resident, expressed gratitude for the service. “We’re thankful that Gwangju’s Goryeoin Village is the only place in the country sending emergency alerts in Russian,” she said.
“With the rainy season and typhoons coming, I hope this will greatly help overseas Koreans who don’t speak Korean well.”
Lee Mid-eum, a producer at GBS, noted the positive reception from the community but highlighted the financial constraints of this pioneering effort.
“As the first attempt of its kind in Korea, we’re operating without government support, collecting data and phone numbers individually,” Lee explained.
“We hope the government or local authorities will step in to provide multilingual alert services directly.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
