Park Wants Gyeongju to Become a Special Disaster Zone

On Tuesday, South Korean President Park Geun-Hye asked to consider designating Gyeongju as a special disaster zone after it was struck by the strongest earthquake recorded in the country last week. The country reportedly felt hundreds of weaker tremors after that.

The Korea Herald reported that the President also called on her government to put in motion "all of its administrative capacity" to analyze how to better prepare the country for future earthquakes during her visit to the city.

Park told her officials, "Please consider the option of declaring Gyeongju as a special disaster zone."

Once the city is announced as a special disaster zone, it will get emergency relief and special financial and administrative support from the government.

The nation's leader met with the residents during her visit to the quake-hit area of the city. She then visited the Wolseong nuclear Plant which has temporarily shut down its four reactors after the strong earthquakes last week.

The President stated, "The government will spare no effort to support this region to ensure that it can quickly regain stability. As it has been confirmed that our country is no longer safe from quakes, the government will review the overall response system and craft thorough measures (to deal with future temblors)."

During a meeting with officials at the nuclear power plant, she said that the "national task" now is to identify how to protect the nuclear facilities from an earthquake that would exceed magnitude 6.5. the reactors in Wolseong were built to defy a 6.5 magnitude earthquake.

She added, "It would be difficult for any human being to perfectly prepare against all possible disasters. But shouldn't we keep trying to enhance the completeness of our preventive measures?"

Gyeongju was struck by two big quakes, one of which recorded magnitude 5.8, the strongest seism to hit South Korea. Another quake which registered magnitude 4.5 hit the city on Monday. There were no serious injuries reported but the residents are still anxious and nervous following the tremors.