▲ President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae on October 20.
Regarding the previous day's funeral service for the late Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty at a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, President Lee Jae-myung said, "Our people will forever remember Lieutenant Kim, who dedicated his life and made the ultimate sacrifice for the lives and safety of the people."
President Lee made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting he presided over at Cheong Wa Dae that day, adding, "I pray for the repose of the deceased and extend my deepest condolences and comfort to the bereaved family."
He continued, "I also wish a speedy recovery to the injured firefighter," promising, "The state will now become your family and a strong pillar of support for the bereaved."
In particular, he emphasized, "As seen in this unfortunate accident, threats to the lives and safety of the people exist everywhere in our daily lives," stressing, "The state has an obligation to safeguard the daily lives of the people safely from all threats."
President Lee noted, "Fortunately, since the launch of our administration, there have been achievements such as significant reductions in occupational fatalities, suicides, and casualties from summer storms and floods, but we still have a long way to go," calling for "meticulous improvements to institutions and infrastructure across our entire society."
He then instructed, "Above all, a major overhaul and reinforcement are needed for core functions dedicated to public safety, including firefighting, policing, disaster prevention, and healthcare," directing officials to "comprehensively review the system from top to bottom so that the safety of frontline personnel, as well as citizens facing hazards, can be thoroughly protected."
He added, "We must move away from past practices, expand budgets and personnel, and proactively pursue effective institutional improvements."
In addition, President Lee said, "We must focus our national governance capabilities on creating a government that saves citizens' lives and a nation that protects their daily routines," mentioning, "While we fortunately have seen no major accidents at present, just in case, perhaps we should conduct massive safety inspections on facilities such as crowd-dense venues and bridges."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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