Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks at a meeting with reporters, Dec. 15. Newsis

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo called for safety measures for large-scale year-end and New Year's celebrations, including a major fireworks festival in the southern port city of Busan, his office said Friday.

Han instructed relevant authorities and local governments to "thoroughly implement a festival safety management plan in preparation for overcrowding, including the management of visitors' movements, the installation of safety lines and the deployment of safety personnel," the office said in a statement.

Han called for them to check the stages for such gatherings and other festival-related facilities, it said.

Han also asked heads of local governments to provide guidance to festival participants in advance so they can follow basic safety rules, it said. (Yonhap)