SEOUL, Aug 8 (Reuters) - South Korea's environment

ministry said on Thursday it plans to hold an emergency meeting

next week to discuss fires involving electric vehicles (EVs),

including a blaze that caused extensive damage, and draw up

measures to prevent such incidents.

The ministry said the land and industry ministries will join

Monday's meeting as well as other state bodies, such as the

National Fire Agency, adding that the government planned to

announce comprehensive measures regarding EV fires soon.

The move comes as analysts warn that authorities and the EV

industry need to find ways to allay public worries on safety in

a sector already suffering a slowdown in sales.

Yonhap news agency said the government would unveil the new

measures early next month.

Separately, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper cited an unnamed

transport ministry official as saying South Korea planned to

require EV makers to disclose the brand of batteries in cars.

Automakers in South Korea currently need to provide certain

information about vehicles, such as fuel efficiency, but only

limited details on batteries and do not have to name the

manufacturers, the newspaper said.

The transport ministry declined to give an immediate comment

on the report.

Last week, a Mercedes-Benz electric sedan with batteries

made by Chinese company Farasis Energy caught fire

in the underground garage of an apartment in the South Korean

city of Incheon, according to media reports.

The blaze took more than eight hours to extinguish and

damaged about 140 cars and 23 people were hospitalised due to

smoke inhalation, Yonhap reported.

Mercedes-Benz Korea said in a statement it took the incident

very seriously and planned to cooperate with authorities to

determine the cause.

Farasis did not immediately respond to a request for

comment.

The Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters in a

report published in February said 1,399 fires occurred in

underground parking lots in South Korea between 2013 and 2022

with 43.7% attributed to vehicles. It said electrical sources

accounted for 53% of car fires in underground garages.

"A series of EV fires occurring in underground parking lots

have been linked to growing consumer distrust of EVs, which

could prolong the current EV downturn," said Esther Yim, an

analyst at Samsung Securities, calling on the industry to come

up with measures to reassure consumers.

Last month, Hyundai Motor ( HYMTF ) said it would expand

hybrid line-ups as demand for EVs eases globally.

Meanwhile, battery maker LG Energy Solution,

whose customers include Tesla, General Motors ( GM )

and Hyundai Motor ( HYMTF ) among others, cut its annual sales target on a

slowdown in global EV demand.