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SEOUL, Aug 25 (Reuters) - South Korea's government and ruling party have agreed to move up an electric vehicle battery certification programme, the party said on Sunday, as authorities seek to alleviate public safety concerns after a series of fires involving EVs.

The government will start the battery certification scheme in October, earlier than scheduled, to help guarantee the safety of EV batteries, Han Zeea, a spokesperson for the People Power Party, told reporters. The government also agreed to require automakers operating in the country to identify batteries used in their electric vehicles.

The agreement on tougher rules for EV safety follows the government's move to urge car makers to voluntarily disclose the information after an EV fire on August 1 that damaged hundreds of vehicles and created public panic.

The blaze, which appeared to start spontaneously in a Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE), opens new tab EV with Farasis Energy (688567.SS), opens new tab batteries, took eight hours to extinguish, destroying or damaging about 140 cars and forcing some residents in the apartments above to move to shelters.