Korea to strengthen quake-resistant design requirements for homes, buildings

All new homes and buildings that have more than 200 square meters in floor space will be required to have earthquake-resistant designs, the land ministry said Monday in a preview of a new law that could take effect later this year.

The law is stricter than measures announced at the end of last year, when such requirements for buildings were for those with over 500-square-meter floor space. The rule for wooden structures, comparatively safer against earthquakes, will remain at 500 square meters, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said.

(Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

All private and communal homes, regardless of their size, must incorporate quakeproof designs.

The new law strengthens safety inspections by expanding the subjects of monitoring to all structures 16 stories tall or higher, instead of buildings with over 100,000-square-meter floor space.

Ministry officials said they expect the new law to go into effect between August and September this year after coordination among related agencies, although the date can change depending on whether there will be a grace period. (Yonhap)