▲ President Lee Jae-myung speaks at the second plenary meeting of the Presidential Commission on National Life and Safety held at the Blue House on October 28.
President Lee Jae-myung emphasized on Wednesday (October 28) that "for a nation, no value takes precedence over protecting the lives and safety of its citizens."
Presiding over the second plenary meeting of the Presidential Commission on National Life and Safety at the Blue House that day, President Lee said, "The phrase 'safely through another day' has now become a core responsibility of this nation." He added, "We must always engage in painful self-reflection over whether the state properly protected the lives of its people and adequately protected the victims and their families in all the disasters and tragedies we have endured."
President Lee said, "In the past, safety was something individuals had to protect for themselves, not something someone else protected for them," emphasizing that the state must now take responsibility for it.
He continued, "Some organizations use the slogan 'Life over Money,' and that is truly an essential value. Even if the economy grows and the nation develops, it means nothing if people lose their lives at work and cannot return home."
President Lee urged, "Though belated, the Framework Act on Life and Safety was enacted to establish the public's right to safety as a legal fundamental right, and it will take effect in December. It is a law embodying everyone's reflection and determination to ensure that precious lives are never lost again due to the absence of the state," adding, "We must never forget that it was built upon countless tears and suffering."
He stressed, "I have repeatedly emphasized that our administration must be a government that saves the lives of its people. What matters from now on is actually guaranteeing the public's right to safety specified in the law. We must be evaluated by how many more lives we actually protect and save."
President Lee reiterated, "Tomorrow marks the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon disaster. There were clearly many deaths that could have been prevented and lives that could have been saved, both before and after the Itaewon tragedy. Even at this very moment, many citizens are losing their lives across various parts of society. The government must move faster to ensure that preventable deaths are reduced."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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