CDSCHQ "Advancing National Safety System, Establishing Fundamental Recurrence Prevention Measures"

Funeral Procedures for 130 Victims Concluded... 9 Foreign Victims Await Repatriation, 7 to be Completed by the 9th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The government announced that it will develop fundamental measures to prevent recurrence, including advancing the current national safety system, which revealed problems in the Itaewon disaster.

On the 7th, Kim Seong-ho, General Director of the 1st Headquarters of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) and Director of the Disaster Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said in his opening remarks at the CDSCH meeting, "This accident served as a reminder of how important safety is in our society," adding, "The government is identifying and improving the problems revealed throughout the response process to this accident and is creating fundamental measures to prevent such tragic accidents from happening again."

He continued, "The government is determined that the state's responsibility for the lives and safety of its citizens is unlimited, and will develop the national safety system accordingly," adding, "This morning, the President personally chaired a meeting to inspect the national safety system, and task forces for preventing mass crowd accidents and improving the 112 response system are also in operation."

As of 6 a.m. on the same day, the Itaewon disaster death toll was counted at 156, with 197 injured, totaling 353 victims. Funeral procedures for 130 domestic victims have been completed, and repatriation to their home countries has been completed for 17 of the 26 foreign deceased. Of the 9 foreign deceased awaiting repatriation, 7 are scheduled to be repatriated by the 9th.

Director Kim said, "The government will provide full support until the end to ensure that there is no neglect in the funerals of the remaining foreign victims, including facilitating the entry of bereaved families and providing interpretation support."

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