Following a Series of Deaths Among Vulnerable Households... Minister Jeung Eun-kyung Vows to Promote Discretionary Welfare Applications

Minister Jeung Visits Uljugun and Imsilgun to Gather On-Site Opinions after Family Deaths
Tasks Requiring Inter-Ministerial Cooperation to Be Specified and Improved

Following a series of recent deaths among vulnerable households, the government has begun formulating countermeasures to address the issue.

Jung Eun-kyung, Minister of Health and Welfare, is speaking at an emergency inspection meeting related to deaths in vulnerable households held in Seoul on the 22nd. Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 22nd that it held an emergency inspection meeting on deaths among vulnerable households, presided over by Minister Jeung Eun-kyung.

This meeting was convened to identify shortcomings in the welfare system and prepare improvement measures in the wake of consecutive deaths among vulnerable households in locations such as Uljugun, Ulsan, and Imsilgun, North Jeolla Province.

The meeting was attended by First Vice Minister Lee Seuran, Second Vice Minister Lee Hyunghoon, as well as directors and heads of departments and divisions responsible for related welfare programs. Discussions focused on improving the application-based welfare system, easing eligibility standards for emergency welfare, advancing the system for identifying vulnerable households, reducing the burden of family caregiving, and suicide prevention.

In addition, the participants agreed to specify tasks that require cooperation with other ministries, such as applying exceptions to the real-name financial transaction system for public officials to allow discretionary applications for welfare benefits, and improving support for single-parent families.

On the previous day, Minister Jeung visited Imsilgun, North Jeolla Province, received reports on the circumstances of an incident on the 10th in which a woman in her 90s, her son, and her grandson died, and reviewed the local government's response. She also checked the actual living conditions of the household and whether they were receiving institutional support. Minister Jeung additionally listened to opinions from the field regarding measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

It was reported that the deceased son had even acquired a caregiver's license to care for his elderly mother, whose mobility was limited, but had become exhausted from the prolonged caregiving, and had previously attempted suicide. The local mental health and welfare center had visited the family for counseling, but was unable to prevent the deaths, leading to further regret.

On the 20th, Minister Jeung also visited Uljugun, Ulsan, where a family struggling with financial hardship had died, to gather on-site opinions for formulating countermeasures.

Minister Jeung stated, "I am deeply saddened by the recent deaths among vulnerable households and take this issue very seriously. Accordingly, we will prepare countermeasures with a stronger sense of responsibility," adding, "The government and local governments will proactively identify people at risk and provide sufficient support by expediting key tasks such as promoting public officials' discretionary application and improving the application-based welfare system."

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