Experts forecast that the impact on South Korea will be limited in relation to the possibility of an eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it held a meeting with experts on "volcanic ash impact analysis and damage mitigation" on the 28th.
The meeting was attended by experts, including members of the volcanic disaster prevention committee, as well as officials from the Korea Meteorological Administration and the National Disaster Safety Research Institute.
The meeting was organized to review the potential impact on South Korea following reports from Japanese media regarding the possibility of an eruption of Mount Fuji.
Earlier, NHK reported that the Japan Meteorological Administration held a meeting involving experts for the first time to establish a new eruption forecast system. This was prompted by abnormal signs such as rising water temperatures in lakes near Mount Fuji and the melting of glaciers on its summit, which had been covered by snow.
Experts predict that even if Mount Fuji erupts, the impact on South Korea is expected to be limited. This is due to the prevailing westerlies, which predominantly affect Japan's upper atmosphere. Japan is located southeast of Korea, which is a different direction.
In addition, the Japanese Cabinet Office reports that the disaster impact zone in the event of an eruption of Mount Fuji is approximately within 200 km. Busan, located near Japan, is more than 870 km from Mount Fuji, while Jeju is over 1,100 km away.
Jeong Chang-seong, director of the Natural Disaster Response Bureau of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, noted, "There have been no cases of impact on South Korea due to volcanic eruptions in Japan so far," while urging citizens to be familiar with safety measures in the event of volcanic ash fall.