Government Discusses Impact Analysis and Damage Mitigation Measures
"Limited Damage Expected Due to 800 km Distance from Mount Fuji"
Amid ongoing concerns about the possibility of an eruption at Mount Fuji in Japan, experts have predicted that even if Mount Fuji erupts, the impact of volcanic ash on South Korea would be limited.
On May 28, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it had held a meeting to analyze the impact of volcanic ash and discuss damage mitigation measures with expert members of the Volcanic Disaster Prevention Committee, the Korea Meteorological Administration, and the National Disaster Management Research Institute.
The meeting was organized in response to reports in Japanese media about the potential eruption of Mount Fuji, with the aim of preemptively reviewing whether there would be any impact on South Korea. During the meeting, participants shared analyses of the potential impact on South Korea in the event of a Mount Fuji eruption, as well as the current status of the government's comprehensive policy measures to mitigate volcanic ash damage.
Experts attending the meeting predicted that, even if Mount Fuji erupts, the impact on South Korea would be quite limited due to the prevailing westerlies in the upper atmosphere over Japan, which generally blow from west to east.
According to the Cabinet Office of Japan, the disaster impact range caused by volcanic ash deposition in the event of a Mount Fuji eruption has been estimated to be within approximately 200 kilometers. Given that South Korea is more than 800 kilometers away from Mount Fuji, it is expected that, at present, even if an eruption occurs, the damage to South Korea would be relatively minor.
Previously, in 2017, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety developed a comprehensive volcanic ash damage mitigation plan in cooperation with related agencies to prepare for potential volcanic ash damage from Mount Baekdu. The comprehensive plan includes establishing a volcanic activity monitoring and notification system, implementing damage mitigation measures for each relevant ministry in areas such as transportation, environment, industrial facilities, agricultural products, and food and pharmaceuticals, as well as strengthening research and response capabilities related to volcanic ash.
Jung Changseong, Director of the Natural Disaster Response Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, "Although there has been no case so far where volcanic eruptions in Japan have affected South Korea, we ask the public to familiarize themselves in advance with the precautions to take during volcanic ash fall, in preparation for any possible situation."
In Japan, concerns about a renewed eruption have persisted ever since a magnitude 4.8 earthquake occurred near Mount Fuji in December 2021. According to the Japanese government's 2020 prediction of 'volcanic ash fall from a Mount Fuji eruption,' in the worst-case scenario, volcanic ash from Mount Fuji could reach the Tokyo metropolitan area within about three hours of the eruption, causing railway operations to be suspended and transmission facilities to fail, resulting in widespread power outages.
If the eruption continues, it is expected that more than 30 centimeters of volcanic ash could accumulate in Kanagawa and Yamanashi prefectures near Tokyo, and more than 10 centimeters could accumulate in the city center two weeks after the eruption. There are even projections that the total volume of accumulated volcanic ash could reach 490 million cubic meters.
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