The government will introduce a filtering function to prevent duplicate and repetitive sending of disaster text messages by the third quarter of this year.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety noted on the 13th that it will hold a Disaster Text Message Broadcasting Operation Council on the 14th to discuss improvements to the disaster text message service.
Officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Korean National Police Agency, Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, and mobile carriers will attend the council.
The council is set to discuss expanding the character limit for disaster text messages, preventing duplicate and repetitive transmissions, and restructuring the message broadcasting system.
First, the current character limit of 90 for disaster text messages will be increased to 157. This aims to provide more detailed guidance on evacuation methods and precautions during disasters. Following a pilot program conducted by some local governments this year, the plan is to apply it nationwide next year.
Additionally, the organizations sending disaster text messages will apply a filtering function by the third quarter of this year to prevent duplicate and repetitive transmissions. This will block the resending of disaster text messages that have already been sent and provide only the necessary information.
Furthermore, the text message broadcasting system will be subdivided by organization. In addition to the existing disaster text message broadcasting and earthquake/tsunami message broadcasting, civil defense message broadcasting and missing person alert broadcasting will be added, operating a total of four types.
Lee Han-kyung, head of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "Disaster text messages have established themselves as a key means of providing disaster information to the public," and added, "We will continue to develop the disaster text message service so that the public can receive essential disaster information quickly and accurately."