President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday vowed to better equip key facilities, including nuclear reactors, to withstand earthquakes as a record temblor jolted the country earlier this week, source from Yonhap News Agency.
During the Cabinet meeting, Park said it will dispatch officials to the quake-hit region to find out details of damages and minimize inconveniences to residents.
On Monday, a record magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck the southern city of Gyeongju, which was strong enough to be felt throughout the nation.
"I believe many people were surprised by the earthquake," Park said during the meeting, adding the incident signaled a warning that South Korea is not safe from natural disasters.
No serious injuries or damages were reported following the quake, although people in the region felt numerous aftershocks throughout the night.
The chief executive also said Seoul will take more effective actions against North Korea's nuclear provocations, adding the controversial U.S. missile defense system is vital to protect the country from Pyongyang's missiles.
During the Cabinet meeting, Park said South Korea will bring about an end to the communist regime if it fires a nuke-equipped missile.
Park also said protesting against the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system will make South Koreans become more vulnerable to Pyongyang's weapons of mass destruction. Opposition parties have been protesting against the deployment, citing potential tension with Beijing and Moscow.
The South Korean president has brushed aside such concerns by making clear that THAAD only targets North Korea.
