President Yoon: "Heavy heart for not protecting youth... Responsibility lies with me"

"Please strive to prevent innocent casualties," says staff... 'National Safety System Inspection Meeting' to be held on the morning of the 7th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] President Yoon Suk-yeol said on the 6th, "As the president, I am deeply pained and burdened by not being able to protect our youth, who are our future," adding, "Although the national mourning period has ended, it is my responsibility as president to engrave this consolation and mourning in my heart and ensure that such a tragedy never happens again."

That afternoon, President Yoon held a meeting with his aides and stated, "Please make every effort to transform the country into a safe Republic of Korea so that innocent sacrifices never occur again."

To this end, President Yoon decided to hold a National Safety System Inspection Meeting at 7:30 a.m. on the 7th. Kim Eun-hye, Senior Secretary for Public Relations at the Presidential Office, explained in a written briefing, "The president will hold a National Safety System Inspection Meeting at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow at the Yongsan Presidential Office, involving both public and private sectors. Government, local governments, private experts, and frontline officials will participate together to thoroughly diagnose and evaluate the current disaster safety management system and deliberate and discuss ways to establish a safe system in the Republic of Korea."

On the same day, President Yoon attended a memorial mass for the victims of the 'Itaewon tragedy' held at Myeongdong Cathedral in Jung-gu, Seoul, together with First Lady Kim Keon-hee. Following a Buddhist service on the 4th and a church service on the 5th, he attended religious events for three consecutive days to mourn the victims.

According to Senior Secretary Kim, Archbishop Jung Soon-taek said, "When I recall the moment young people, who had not yet fully blossomed, could not breathe and collapsed, even imagining it pains my heart. I feel sorry, ashamed, and bear great responsibility," and urged, "Now, I hope the government takes this as an opportunity to further upgrade the social system that protects and safeguards the safety and lives of the people." He continued, "Let us remember that human life holds the highest value in the world. Through this tragedy, division of public opinion or increased social conflict will not help us build a more mature country through this pain, nor would the bereaved families of the victims wish for that," emphasizing, "Our society becoming more united, comforting each other, and creating a safer country is the way to embrace the hearts of the victims and the pain of their families." President Yoon also agreed with this sentiment.

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