[Edaily Reporter Yun Junghoon ]SKTelecom(017670)announced on the 29th that it has partnered with the Korean Red Cross to provide emergency relief supplies and telecommunications services to victims of the fire in Guryong Village, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

A fire that broke out in Guryong Village on the afternoon of the 27th forced about 200 residents to evacuate; the affected residents are currently staying at temporary shelters set up at Gaepo Middle School and Guryong Middle School.

SKT immediately began providing telecommunications infrastructure support within the shelters to ensure evacuees can stay in touch with their families and easily access information about the disaster.

In particular, the companies coordinated on-site to divide responsibilities. SKT is in charge of the temporary shelter at Gaepo Middle School, where it has installed free smartphone charging stations and is setting up and operating a Wi-Fi network, while #LG Uplus is responsible for the shelter at Guryong Middle School, providing charging and Wi-Fi services.

In addition, SKT has delivered emergency relief supplies, such as hand warmers and power banks, to the sites to minimize the inconvenience faced by evacuees during their stay. SKT maintains a standing response system that allows for the rapid deployment of supplies—including chargers, power banks, and hand warmers—as well as communication infrastructure such as Wi-Fi and IPTV, even during normal times, in preparation for disasters.

Hong Seon-gi, Head of KTCorporation’s Seoul Metropolitan Area Network Division, said, “We extend our deepest condolences to the residents affected by this fire,” adding, “We will do our utmost to provide telecommunications support so that evacuees can stay in touch with one another and access necessary information smoothly, even in these difficult circumstances.”