Ministry of Interior and Safety Holds Expert Meeting on Kumamoto Earthquakes to Check Domestic Preparedness

The Ministry of Interior and Safety held an advisory meeting with experts in the field of earthquakes from the Korea Meteorological Administration, the National Disaster Management Research Institute, the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, and Pusan National University regarding the consecutive strong earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, to review South Korea's preparedness posture for earthquakes.

Attendees analyzed the causes of the recent earthquakes and their potential impact on South Korea, discussed preparedness for earthquakes and tsunamis, promoted public action guidelines, and reviewed cooperation systems among related organizations.

They also agreed that continuous monitoring and preparedness are necessary, noting that the impact of earthquakes in neighboring countries has been confirmed, with 789 reports of perceived shaking received domestically in connection with the earthquakes.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety is pushing to achieve a 100% seismic retrofitting rate by 2035 through seismic reinforcement projects for public facilities.

As of last year, the seismic retrofitting rate for public facilities stood at 82.7%.

The country has designated and operates 11,366 outdoor earthquake evacuation sites and 680 tsunami emergency evacuation sites nationwide.

(Photo provided by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.