The government will have the earthquake resistance of up to 2 million residences checked in the next 10 years and renovate about half of them to make them stronger, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry said Thursday.

The move is intended to expedite building checks and renovations to increase the ratio of structures likely to survive a major earthquake to 90 percent by 2015. The ratio was 75 percent in 2003.

The ministry is aiming to have 1 million residences checked in the next five years and between 1.5 million and 2 million by 2015, they said.

The structures are just a portion of the 11.5 million residences and 90,000 buildings built before 1981, when the Building Standard Law was amended with an improved quake-resistance standard. These buildings are considered too weak to withstand serious earthquakes.

In addition, the ministry will check 50,000 structures, including department stores, hospitals and schools, and have 30,000 of them renovated in the next 10 years.

To achieve the 90 percent ratio, the ministry also sees the need to have old structures rebuilt, including some 5.5 million residences and 20,000 buildings, they said.

The ministry will also ask local governments to come up with plans to promote the seismic safety of buildings by the end of 2006, including a financing system to lessen the public burden of assessing and renovating homes.