President Park Geun-hye urged officials and experts on Tuesday to enhance disaster preparedness and management through the use of science and technology.

“Science (and) technology should spearhead efforts to build a safer Korea,” Park said while presiding over an advisory panel on science and technology, noting the growing number of natural and man-made disasters. In the last decade, South Korea suffered 7.3 trillion won ($9.2 billion) in financial losses due to natural disasters, and the number of man-made disasters increased to 270,000 a year, the president said.

“There’s a saying that disasters are not preventable, but early human intervention can make a huge difference. It signifies the importance of building a (full) capacity to cope with the growing numbers of disasters,” she said.

The president also asked members of the panel and officials to expand research on disaster prevention and management to commercialize related technologies in the near future.

“A joint venture by businesses, schools and institutes should develop and commercialize technologies, and create a market to improve (our) capacity to deal with crises and contribute to economic growth,” Park said.

The remarks came a month after she appointed former Navy Adm. Park In-yong as head of the new ministry assigned to act as a control tower for disasters and safety measures. The Ministry of Public Safety and Security was launched as part of Park’s government reorganization plan rolled out in the wake of the Sewol disaster. The ferry that sank off the country’s southwestern coast in April killed more than 300 people, mostly high school students who were on a school trip to the resort island of Jejudo.

During the meeting, Choi Yang-hee, minister of science, ICT and future planning, presented the government’s strategies to enhance disaster preparedness by applying technologies. The government plans to install sensors on state-owned facilities, like old bridges and tunnels, nationwide and set up surveillance cameras and artificial intelligence systems to monitor and detect early signs of disasters. The government also plans to deploy unmanned drones, rescue-robots and other smart equipment by 2017 to rapidly deal with disasters and minimize losses.

The government also plans to apply science and technology to open a new chapter in the country’s farming sectors, officials said. A joint venture between universities, businesses and the government plans to develop smart farm models by 2016 to increase agricultural productivity.

“By utilizing science, technology and ICT, we should seek a breakthrough for farmers to help them increase their income and better deal with market liberalization,” Park said.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)