Lee Jae-myung's Response to the 'Overpunishment Controversy' Surrounding the Minsik Act

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the 'Countermeasure Meeting on Delivery App Monopoly and Unfair Trade' held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do on the afternoon of the 6th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Amid ongoing controversy over excessive punishment regarding the 'Min-sik Law,' which imposes heavier penalties on drivers causing traffic accidents in school zones, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung stated on the 7th, "We will create an environment where accidents do not occur."

On the same day, Governor Lee posted an article titled "I will create an environment where accidents do not happen in the first place" on the official provincial blog.

He said, "Regardless of the side, everyone knows that the true purpose of this law is 'prevention,' not punishment," adding, "For genuine prevention, it is important not only to strengthen penalties but also to truly create an environment where accidents do not happen."

He continued, "To establish safe school routes where both children and drivers can travel without worry, Gyeonggi Province will implement comprehensive measures," explaining, "First, we will significantly expand traffic safety facilities such as yellow traffic lights and continuous speed bumps in school zones across the province, and install pedestrian paths separated from roadways on school routes outside of school zones."

He also stated, "We will accelerate improvements to hazardous factors within apartment complexes, which are blind spots for traffic safety," and added, "Furthermore, when developing large-scale new complexes, we plan to minimize commuting distances and design roads with more than four lanes to prohibit pedestrian crossings."

Additionally, Governor Lee said, "We will distribute safety umbrellas to children that improve visibility on rainy days and are easily noticeable to drivers, and through education and citizen participation, we will devote efforts to comprehensive traffic safety awareness improvement and practice," emphasizing, "We will also strictly crack down on harmful elements around schools that damage children's health, not just traffic-related issues."

In conclusion, Governor Lee stated, "Traffic accidents involving children continue to increase both inside and outside school zones. We cannot stand by and watch more tragic losses," and ended his message by saying, "We will properly bend the continuously rising upward graph."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.