[Lee Itaewon Disaster] Full Text of President Yoon Seok-yeol's Emergency National Address

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] President Yoon Suk-yeol announced an emergency national address regarding the ‘Itaewon tragedy’ on the 30th and declared a national mourning period. At around 9:50 a.m. that day, President Yoon stated in a national address at the briefing room on the first floor of the Yongsan Presidential Office, "It is truly devastating," and added, "A tragedy and disaster that should never have happened occurred in the heart of Seoul last night during Halloween."

It is truly devastating. Last night, in the heart of Seoul during Halloween, a tragedy and disaster that should never have happened occurred. I pray for the souls of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate accident and wish for the speedy recovery of the injured. I also extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their precious loved ones.

As the president responsible for the lives and safety of the people, my heart is heavy, and it is difficult to contain my sorrow. The government will designate today as the start of the national mourning period until the accident recovery is completed, and will prioritize the handling and follow-up measures of this accident as the top priority of state affairs.

First, we will fully mobilize available emergency medical systems along with funeral support to ensure prompt medical assistance for the injured. We will assign government officials on a one-to-one basis to ensure no gaps in necessary measures and support.

Above all, identifying the cause of the accident and preventing similar incidents is crucial. We will thoroughly investigate the cause of this accident and fundamentally improve measures to prevent the recurrence of the same accident in the future.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and related ministries will conduct urgent inspections not only of Halloween events but also of local festivals, and will strictly manage them to proceed in an orderly and safe manner.

Once again, I pray for the souls of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate accident, and the government will do its utmost in handling the accident.

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