Earthquake-safe schools in the Republic of Korea

This case study belongs to a compendium of good practices and success stories in disaster risk reduction shared during the 2025 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025). These stories reflect the real-world progress being made by governments, communities, and organizations around the world to reduce risk and build resilience.

Between 2020 and 2024, Korea made significant strides in protecting children and strengthening community resilience to disasters. One of the most visible achievements was increasing the seismic reinforcement rate of school buildings from 55.8% to 76.2%. Today, more than 6,300 schools are not only places of learning—they serve as regional disaster hubs, ready to shelter communities in times of crisis.

The government paired these infrastructure upgrades with smart disaster management systems and climate-resilient facilities, ensuring schools could operate as safe, self-sufficient centers during emergencies. Safety education became a national priority: every student now receives 51 hours of annual disaster preparedness training. Initiatives such as the Children’s Disaster Safety Drill—active in over 500 schools—and the Korean School Safety Programme (KSSP) equip children with practical, lifesaving skills.

These investments proved their worth in June 2024, when a 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck. Thanks to prior training, students calmly evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

Underpinning these efforts is the Child Safety Management Act, enacted in May 2020, which established a five-year Comprehensive Plan for Child Safety. Korea’s integrated approach—combining safer infrastructure, smart technology, and empowered children & youth—is setting a benchmark for school safety worldwide.

Source: Shared at the Ministerial Roundtable on School Safety by the Government of the Republic of Korea