South Korea will tighten its construction rules for smaller buildings in order to better protect them from massive earthquakes, the land and transportation ministry said Thursday.
Under a set of revised regulations to be unveiled for public comments on Friday, two-story or smaller buildings should have quake-resistant capacity when they are newly constructed, the ministry said.
Owners of such buildings that already exist will also have to strengthen quake-resistance features when they push for their extension or remodeling, the ministry added.
Under the current law, only buildings higher than two stories and with floor space that exceeds 1,000 square meters are required to be built in accordance with the quake-resistant rules.
The tightened requirements come amid lingering concerns that South Korea might not be immune from massive earthquakes like the one that hit Japan in March.
The ministry is also pushing to oblige all 30-story or higher buildings to install safety areas or emergency stairs in case of deadly earthquakes. Currently, the requirement is applied only to buildings with 50 floors or more.
In addition, fire-resistant materials should be used in constructing 30-story or higher buildings. They should also have a disaster-control center where emergency situations such as fires, terrorist attacks and natural disasters can be effectively managed, the ministry said.