Interior ministry clears exam exemptions for disaster safety certification

The interior ministry said Tuesday that a revision to the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management was approved at a cabinet meeting, setting the exemption range for the first-stage certified disaster manager exam as "some or all" of its subjects depending on the qualifications an applicant already holds.

The measure, which passed the National Assembly on Sept. 17, secures momentum for the government's pledge to build a corps of disaster management specialists. Detailed exemption standards will be set in a presidential decree, with the first exam scheduled for 2028.

Under the enforcement decree the ministry plans, holders of a certificate such as a disaster prevention engineer, disaster prevention specialist or corporate disaster manager, as well as those who have completed required courses in a related academic department, would be exempted from either introduction to disaster management or disaster risk assessment. Candidates who pass the first stage would then be exempt from retaking it for two years.

"I will swiftly push ahead with the follow-up revision of the enforcement decree so the certified disaster manager qualification system can be implemented smoothly and the national task carried out without disruption," Interior Minister Yoon Ho-jung said.

"As the first exam will be held in 2028, we will gather and reflect the views of relevant ministries and experts over the remaining period and thoroughly build the foundations for operating the system, doing our utmost to train experts in the disaster management field," he added.