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Emergency preparedness in South Korea: official guidance in English

South Korea's official preparedness rules in English: survival backpack, civil defence shelters, five air-raid alerts, iodine stockpiles and 112/119.

Updated 2026-10-20· 9 official sources· 한국어로 읽기

South Korea at a glance

updated 2026-10-20
SuppliesThe Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) 2024 booklet 'Emergency Action Guide' asks households to pack a survival backpack, but gives no quantities or duration.sourcedPublic sheltersCivil defence shelters (민방위 대피시설) are mostly designated existing underground spaces (basements, underground car parks, subway stations), plus government-built shelters in border areas and the five West Sea islands.sourcedAlertsCivil defence air-raid alerts are issued by MOIS (nationwide), provincial governors and city/county/district heads, and town/township/neighbourhood heads in border areas; they come in five types (caution, air raid, CBR, nuclear, all-clear) and are broadcast by siren, radio and TV.sourcedIodineBy law, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and local governments covering a radiation emergency planning zone must stockpile thyroid-blocking tablets: 2 doses per resident plus 20 % (the Commission holds a further 50 %).sourcedPrivate shelterNo shelter-specific permit or declaration regime for a private home shelter was found in the Civil Defense Act or its decrees.sourced
Shelter standardsCapacity standard: 0.825 m² of usable floor area per person for public shelters (Seoul safety portal).to confirm
Emergency numbersSince the integration of emergency numbers, Korea uses 112 (police) and 119 (fire, rescue, ambulance, disasters) for emergencies and 110 for government enquiries; calls are shared in real time between police, fire service and coast guard.sourced
Crisis bookletMOIS publishes the 'Emergency Action Guide' (비상시 국민행동요령) booklet; Seoul hosts the 2023 and 2024 editions.sourced
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Short answer. South Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) asks every household to know its nearest civil defence shelter and to pack a survival backpack, as set out in its 2024 Emergency Action Guide booklet 2. Shelters are mostly designated underground spaces 1. There are five civil defence alerts 1, three tiers of disaster texts 4, iodine stockpiles around nuclear plants 5, and 112 and 119 for emergencies 6.

Information verified against official Korean sources on 20 October 2026. Civil defence, shelters and alerts are run by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (행정안전부), Emergency Preparedness Policy Bureau 1; radiological emergencies and the iodine stockpile involve the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (원자력안전위원회) 5.

What is South Korea's official preparedness guide?

MOIS publishes the Emergency Action Guide (비상시 국민행동요령), a booklet whose 2023 and 2024 editions are hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government 2. The 2024 leaflet sums it up in "four things to remember for safety in an emergency" 2:

  1. Prepare: know where your shelter is and pack a survival backpack.
  2. Evacuate safely.
  3. Listen to government broadcasts.
  4. Keep order and help others.

What does each South Korea page cover?

Page In short
Emergency supplies A survival backpack with no national quantities; one Seoul district advises 15 to 30 days of food for wartime 2
Kit checklist The official lists, line by line, to tick off 2
Public shelters Mostly basements, underground car parks and subway stations; Seoul alone manages about 2,975 13
Alerts Five civil defence alerts; air-raid and nuclear alerts = 1-minute siren plus voice; three tiers of disaster texts 14
Iodine Stockpiled by law around nuclear plants, 2 doses per resident; prescription-only otherwise 5
Build a shelter No shelter-specific permit found; owners of some buildings with basements can be ordered to prepare facilities 78
Emergency contacts 112 police, 119 fire, rescue, ambulance and disasters, 110 government enquiries 6

Where should I start?

Three steps cover most of what the Korean authorities ask of households:

  1. Know your shelter. Search "민방위 대피소" in Naver Map, KakaoMap or T map, or use the 안전디딤돌 (Safety Stepping Stone) app 19. See public shelters.
  2. Pack a survival backpack. Start with the kit checklist 2.
  3. Know the alerts. Learn the difference between a siren and a voice-only alert, and keep phone disaster texts switched on 14. See alerts.

Then write it down in a family emergency plan.

What is still being confirmed?

One topic in our Korean data is not yet confirmed and has no page of its own: the national floor-area standard for civil defence shelters, whose regulation text we could not find online. It is not presented as fact on these pages.

Frequently asked questions

Who is in charge of civil defence in South Korea?

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety, through its Emergency Preparedness Policy Bureau, runs civil defence, shelters and alerts 1. Ministers, provincial governors and city, county and district heads must set up emergency shelters under the Civil Defense Act 7.

How many days of supplies does South Korea recommend?

MOIS gives no national number of days or quantities 2. The wartime guide of Geumcheon-gu, a Seoul district, advises food for 15 to 30 days per household; see emergency supplies.

What are the emergency numbers in South Korea?

112 for police and 119 for fire, rescue, ambulance and disasters; 110 is for non-emergency government enquiries 6.

Is there information in English?

Yes. MOIS's Emergency Ready App gives the same information for foreigners in English, Chinese and Japanese 9; see alerts.

Sources

  1. 행정안전부 (Ministry of the Interior and Safety) — 민방위 제도 운영 — https://mois.go.kr/frt/sub/a06/b12/civildefensework/screen.do (accessed 2026-10-20)
  2. 행정안전부, hosted by 서울특별시 안전 누리집 — 2024 비상시 국민행동요령(소책자) — https://news.seoul.go.kr/safe/files/2024/04/661dce8627df07.82952000.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
  3. 서울특별시 (Seoul Metropolitan Government) — 민방위 대피소 — https://news.seoul.go.kr/safe/archives/2094 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  4. 행정안전부, via 국가법령정보센터 — 재난문자방송 기준 및 운영규정 (행정안전부예규 제361호, 2026-02-04) — https://www.law.go.kr/행정규칙/재난문자방송기준및운영규정 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  5. 국가법령정보센터 (Ministry of Government Legislation) — 원자력시설 등의 방호 및 방사능 방재 대책법 (제20조의2, 제35조의2) — https://www.law.go.kr/법령/원자력시설등의방호및방사능방재대책법 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  6. 행정안전부 (Ministry of the Interior and Safety) — 긴급신고 통합서비스 — https://mois.go.kr/frt/sub/a06/b10/emergencycall/screen.do (accessed 2026-10-20)
  7. 국가법령정보센터 (Ministry of Government Legislation) — 민방위기본법 — https://www.law.go.kr/법령/민방위기본법 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  8. 국가법령정보센터 (Ministry of Government Legislation) — 민방위기본법 시행규칙 (시행 2026-10-02) — https://www.law.go.kr/법령/민방위기본법시행규칙 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  9. 행정안전부 (Ministry of the Interior and Safety) — 안전디딤돌 — https://mois.go.kr/frt/sub/a06/b11/safetyStep/screen.do (accessed 2026-10-20)

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Sources

  1. 행정안전부 (Ministry of the Interior and Safety) · 민방위 제도 운영 checked 2026-10-20
  2. 행정안전부, hosted by 서울특별시 안전 누리집 · 2024 비상시 국민행동요령(소책자) checked 2026-10-20
  3. 서울특별시 (Seoul Metropolitan Government) · 민방위 대피소 checked 2026-10-20
  4. 행정안전부, via 국가법령정보센터 · 재난문자방송 기준 및 운영규정 (행정안전부예규 제361호, 2026-02-04) checked 2026-10-20
  5. 국가법령정보센터 (Ministry of Government Legislation) · 원자력시설 등의 방호 및 방사능 방재 대책법 (제20조의2, 제35조의2) checked 2026-10-20
  6. 행정안전부 (Ministry of the Interior and Safety) · 긴급신고 통합서비스 checked 2026-10-20
  7. 국가법령정보센터 (Ministry of Government Legislation) · 민방위기본법 checked 2026-10-20
  8. 국가법령정보센터 (Ministry of Government Legislation) · 민방위기본법 시행규칙 (시행 2026-10-02) checked 2026-10-20
  9. 행정안전부 (Ministry of the Interior and Safety) · 안전디딤돌 checked 2026-10-20

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