Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Friday vowed to put top priority on public safety, unveiling a set of enhancement measures especially in coping with earthquakes.

During a civilian-government meeting on public safety, Hwang said the government will actively invest in making airports, railroads, ports, schools and other facilities more earthquake-resistant and make it mandatory for all houses to be built based on quake-proof designs.

The government will also seek to strengthen the anti-seismic capability of nuclear reactors, cultural properties and industrial complexes across the country.

The country has been striving to improve its earthquake response capabilities since its southeastern region was hit by a magnitude 5.8 tremor, the most powerful on record in the country, on Sept. 12, followed by hundreds of aftershocks.

"(The government will) also improve the state system to disseminate information on earthquakes promptly and accurately so that people can get out of harm's way," Hwang said during the meeting.

"We will also speedily carry out our research on earthquakes, along with our plan to start studies on active faults from next year," he added.

Hwang also pledged to help those operating old venues for performances receive free safety checks or financial assistance for renovation costs, stressing that the government will remove "blind spots" in public safety.

Since Hwang took over as acting president last Friday following the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, the interim leader has made a series of moves to stabilize state affairs crippled by a corruption scandal involving Park and her longtime friend. (Yonhap)