The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 29th that it held a meeting of expert advisers in connection with the series of strong earthquakes that occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.
The advisory meeting that day was arranged to analyze domestic impacts after strong earthquakes of magnitude 7.1 and 6.1 struck in succession in Kumamoto Prefecture on the 28th, the day before. The meeting was presided over by the director general for natural disaster response at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), and experts in seismology from the Korea Meteorological Administration, the National Disaster Management Institute, the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), and Pusan National University attended.
Attendees analyzed in multiple ways the causes of the earthquakes in Japan and their domestic impacts. They also focused on reviewing Korea's preparedness against earthquakes and tsunamis, strengthening publicity for public action guidelines, and cooperation systems among related agencies.
Experts agreed that thorough monitoring and preparedness are needed, noting that when the Kumamoto Prefecture earthquake struck, 789 felt reports were filed domestically, confirming the impact of earthquakes in neighboring countries.
They also emphasized active fault surveys to enhance the effectiveness of national earthquake disaster management policy, strengthening seismic performance of national infrastructure such as power and communications, and the importance of repeated evacuation drills.
The government plans to continue promoting public action guidelines and inspecting evacuation sites to prevent harm to the public. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) is pursuing a seismic reinforcement project for public facilities with a goal of achieving a 100% seismic rate by 2035 (82.7% in 2025), and is implementing various policies such as expense subsidies and tax benefits to secure seismic performance for private facilities.
In addition, 11,366 outdoor evacuation sites for earthquakes and 680 emergency evacuation sites for tsunamis have been designated and are in operation. The government also completed a nationwide inspection of evacuation sites from April to June.
To strengthen public awareness of action guidelines for earthquakes and tsunamis, the government is holding the "Earthquake Safety AI Video Contest" this year and is also providing visiting education, earthquake simulations, and evacuation drills for disaster-vulnerable groups.
Kim Gwang-yong, head of the Disaster Safety Management Office at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), said, "There is no direct damage domestically from this earthquake, but it is by no means a situation to be complacent," adding, "The government will once again thoroughly review Korea's preparedness and response posture for earthquakes and tsunamis to ensure public safety."