South Korea needs to set up a contingency plan in preparation for a possible 7.3-magnitude earthquake, a local expert said Tuesday.
In a seminar arranged by the Federation of Korean Industries, Lee Kie-hwa, a professor at the Seoul National University's College of Natural Sciences, advised the country to prepare in advance for a big quake.
"There might be an earthquake in any areas adjacent to Pohang and Gyeongju hit by earthquakes with magnitudes of over 5.0 in the past two years. A 7.3-magnitude earthquake could take place," the professor warned at the seminar.
FKI Vice Chairman Kwon Tae-shin called on the government to benchmark Japan's construction technology and know-how in terms of preparations for an earthquake before drawing up a comprehensive plan to cope with an earthquake and continue business operations even after a natural disaster.
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(Yonhap) |
As for companies, he advised them to upgrade their production facilities so as to make them less vulnerable to big earthquake and minimize any fallout, the FKI said in a statement.
Osamu Hosozawa in charge of planning at Taisei Corp., Japan's biggest construction company, said Tokuo makes it obligatory for public buildings to be earthquake-resistant. The government offers subsidies in earthquake-resistant construction projects, it said.
South Korea has long been regarded as an earthquake-free country but the latest quakes in Pohang and Gyeongju, located in the southeastern part of the country, have triggered worries of a serious earthquake on the Korean Peninsula.
Reflecting such concerns, the National Assembly launched a special natural disaster countermeasures committee early this month to discuss nationwide preparation for potential strong tremors, the statement said. (Yonhap)