Like many Asian countries, the Republic of Korea (also known as RoK, or South Korea) has suffered from numerous human and economic losses due to natural disasters. To establish a new foundation for disaster management in the country, in 2004 the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety (FAMDS) was enacted. However, in the context of the impact of increasingly severe climate change, the RoK has continuously experienced serious damage from natural disasters in particular and disasters in general during the 1990s and 2000s. Combining daily safety management with disaster management in general as a complementary foundation to the Natural Disaster Countermeasures Act passed in 1967, the country’s approach to disaster management is more comprehensive than those of Vietnam and some other countries in the region. Using statistics and synthesizing data and documents from relevant agencies in the RoK, this article analyzes secondary documents to clarify FAMDS. The contents focus on the background detail, some basic features, and the practical value of the legislation. Finally, the author proposes some policy implications for Vietnam. The research results show that FAMDS not only helps reduce human and property loss but also enhances the image of a safer RoK.

Like many Asian countries, the Republic of Korea (also known as RoK, or South Korea) has suffered from numerous human and economic losses due to natural disasters. To establish a new foundation for disaster management in the country, in 2004 the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety (FAMDS) was enacted. However, in the context of the impact of increasingly severe climate change, the RoK has continuously experienced serious damage from natural disasters in particular and disasters in general during the 1990s and 2000s. Combining daily safety management with disaster management in general as a complementary foundation to the Natural Disaster Countermeasures Act passed in 1967, the country’s approach to disaster management is more comprehensive than those of Vietnam and some other countries in the region. Using statistics and synthesizing data and documents from relevant agencies in the RoK, this article analyzes secondary documents to clarify FAMDS. The contents focus on the background detail, some basic features, and the practical value of the legislation. Finally, the author proposes some policy implications for Vietnam. The research results show that FAMDS not only helps reduce human and property loss but also enhances the image of a safer RoK.