Firefighters extinguish an electric vehicle fire during a drill at an apartment complex in Seoul on Aug. 28, following a recent series of similar incidents. (Yonhap)

The transport ministry said Monday it plans to issue a legislative notice for new government regulations regarding electric vehicle safety announced last week in response to public concerns over EV fires.

The ministry said the legislative notice for amendments to the enforcement regulations of the Automobile Management Act will be issued for 40 days, from Tuesday to Oct. 21.

Last week, the government said its EV battery certification system that was scheduled to go into effect next February will launch early on a trial basis in October. Companies will also be required to disclose key information on the batteries, including their brand and main components.

The plan was announced to address a public EV fire scare that started last month after a spontaneous fire in a parked Mercedes-Benz electric model wiped out an apartment complex parking lot while damaging over 100 vehicles.

The ministry said the new measures aim to ensure the public's right to know regarding EV safety and added it was committed to improving relevant systems and regulations to further enhance the safety of EVs. (Yonhap)