Gu Yun-cheol "Protecting the People from Traffic Accidents, Industrial Disasters, and Suicide"

'Guide to the 3 Major Projects for Protecting National Life'

Koo Yoon-chul, Minister for Government Policy Coordination, attending the full meeting of the Political Affairs Committee held at the National Assembly on the 25th, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Office for Government Policy Coordination announced on the 26th that Director Gu Yoon-cheol (ministerial level) will inform the public on the 27th about the 'Three Major Projects to Protect the Lives of the People,' which include traffic safety, industrial accident prevention, and suicide prevention.

The government has been promoting this project since 2018 with the goal of reducing deaths related to these three areas by half by 2022.

On the 27th, Director Gu will appear in a telephone interview to introduce the project details and its achievements so far, as well as to inform the public about the ten key tasks to be prioritized and future challenges and cooperation requests.

Source=Office for Government Policy Coordination

In the field of traffic safety, four tasks will be pursued: ▲ securing pedestrian safety at intersections ▲ strengthening highway safety ▲ preventing motorcycle accidents ▲ intensifying crackdowns on drunk driving.

By August this year, traffic accident deaths decreased by 6.1% compared to the same period last year.

Going forward, the government plans to strengthen measures for vulnerable areas such as highways and motorcycles. It will focus on improving related systems to shift to a pedestrian-centered traffic system.

In the field of industrial accident prevention, four tasks will be carried out: ▲ strengthening safety at construction sites ▲ actively implementing fire safety measures ▲ expanding the role of local governments.

As of August, the number of industrial accident deaths was provisionally counted at 606, a decrease of 2 (-0.3%) compared to the same period last year. Since a fire accident occurred at a logistics center construction site in Icheon in April, the government plans to steadily implement 'fire safety measures at construction sites.'

In the field of suicide prevention, three tasks will be addressed: ▲ responding to COVID-19-related depression ▲ strengthening identification and management of high-risk groups ▲ preventing suicide among women and people in their 20s and 30s.

The number of suicide deaths in August is estimated at 8,566, approximately 614 fewer (about 6.7%) than the same period last year.

In preparation for the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the government will strengthen responses to COVID-19-related depression and actively promote suicide prevention by identifying and intensively managing high-risk groups.

Director Gu said, "The goal of halving the number of deaths is a challenging task, but with the determination and resolve to protect even one more precious life, we will continuously monitor the implementation status of measures in the three major areas," adding, "We will promptly address any shortcomings and proceed with the tasks without delay."

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