The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has initiated a legislative review process for the ‘Social Disaster Response Act’ to systematize the entire process of prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery from social disasters. This legislative effort follows increased public damage from large-scale social disasters in recent years, aiming to establish a specialized legal management framework.
Under the proposed law, special preventive measures will be formulated and implemented for areas and facilities with high disaster risks, with local governments responsible for execution. This includes aging industrial complexes, areas with dense vacant houses, border regions, and facilities used by vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled, and children who have difficulty evacuating on their own.
In the event of a social disaster, local governments and police, marine police, and fire agencies will be authorized to order the suspension of events or dispersal of crowds if there is a risk to human life, and may directly enforce such measures if necessary. A crisis monitoring system will also be established to enable rapid responses tailored to different types of disasters.
The Ministry will transfer social disaster-related provisions from the existing ‘Basic Act on Disaster and Safety Management’ and streamline the designation authority for specific management target areas from central and local government heads to the Minister of the Interior and Safety. A new system for designating key multi-use facilities and requiring safety plans for private festivals is also introduced.