Prime Minister Jeong: "No Compromise in Creating a Safe Society... The Prime Minister Will Personally Oversee It"

"Direct Punishment of Management Responsible for Serious Accidents...Including Economic Sanctions"

On the 18th, participants are listening to Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun's remarks at the National Affairs Inspection and Coordination Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 18th, "There is no compromise in protecting the lives of the people and creating a safe society," and added, "I will personally oversee this."

Prime Minister Chung presided over the 108th National Affairs Issue Coordination Meeting held at the Government Complex Sejong on the same day, stating, "The interim investigation results of the Icheon logistics center fire accident that occurred in April confirmed comprehensive negligence, including safety management rules not being properly followed throughout the workplace."

He emphasized, "The government has accelerated measures with the urgent awareness that similar accidents can recur anytime and anywhere," and added, "We will fundamentally eliminate the causes of fire occurrence."

Prime Minister Chung explained, "We will phase out flammable building materials and establish fire safety standards for windows and doors, which have been blind spots until now."

He continued, "We will significantly strengthen workplace safety management levels and ensure they are effectively implemented on-site," and mentioned, "In particular, simultaneous work in processes with high fire risk will be prohibited, and the implementation status will be continuously inspected by both public and private sectors."

He also stated, "We will eradicate the culture of neglecting safety," and said, "In the event of a serious accident, instead of only holding the workers accountable as before, we will directly punish management responsible and impose substantial economic sanctions."

Furthermore, he instructed, "Since there is absolutely no compromise in creating a safe society, the Ministers of Employment and Labor and Land, Infrastructure and Transport should approach the implementation of measures with a commitment as if their positions depend on it."

Regarding summer livelihood and safety measures, Prime Minister Chung said, "Just as the cold is harsh, the heat is even more severe for socially vulnerable groups," and urged, "Please take care of vulnerable groups such as elderly living alone and children at risk of malnutrition daily and provide necessary support promptly."

He added, "The closer the issue is to the daily lives of the people, the more important collaboration with local governments is," and requested, "Relevant ministries should carefully check whether summer measures are properly enforced on-site and immediately take corrective actions if needed."

Regarding the performance and plans for resolving unexecuted rose garden parks, he concluded, "In two weeks, a system will be implemented for the first time that will revoke the designation of parks that have been decided as park sites but have not been developed for 20 years," and asked, "Relevant ministries and local governments should meticulously manage follow-up measures such as site acquisition and securing funds for park development."

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