Disaster text alerts that deliver disaster safety information to the public will become more detailed. Observers say the alerts will convey disaster information more accurately and even provide guidance on actions to take, raising the level of public safety.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 14th that the character count for disaster text alerts that inform the public of disaster safety information will be expanded nationwide to 157 characters.
Until now, disaster text alerts were limited to 90 characters. As a result, each local government found it difficult to convey specific disaster information.
In response, North Chungcheong, South Gyeongsang, and Jeju conducted a pilot program starting in Oct. last year to expand disaster text alerts to 157 characters. The pilot confirmed that messages were delivered without particular problems.
Starting on the 15th, the government will provide 157-character disaster text alerts nationwide. People will receive more specific guidance on necessary information such as the disaster-affected area, risk situation, and evacuation methods.
Along with the expanded character count, a pre-review function for similar or duplicate disaster texts will also be expanded nationwide. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) has pursued the introduction of a pre-review function for duplicate disaster texts in tandem with the increased character count after concerns were raised that multiple agencies repeatedly sent similar disaster texts, increasing recipient fatigue.
Park Hyeong-bae, director general for Safety and Prevention Policy at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), said, "Summer disasters such as heavy downpours can cause significant damage in a short time, so it is more important than anything to quickly and accurately deliver the disaster information the public needs," and added, "We will work to provide guidance on specific disaster situations and actions to take."