[Anchor]

Regarding the recent line-of-duty deaths of firefighters, President Lee Jae-myung expressed his condolences, saying, "Firefighters play the role of a little god," and ordered a comprehensive overhaul of systems related to firefighting, police, and disaster prevention. He also called for a "supply blitz" in housing to stabilize the real estate market.

Reporter Kang Chungwan reports.

[Reporter]

Presiding over a Cabinet meeting, President Lee Jae-myung once again offered condolences regarding yesterday's (October 19) funeral for the late Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty during a factory fire in Bucheon.

[President Lee Jae-myung: Now the state will become family to the bereaved and a solid pillar of support. I also hope for a swift recovery for the injured firefighters.]

He went on to emphasize that the state has an obligation to protect the public's daily lives from various disasters and threats, ordering a re-examination of safety systems, including expanding budgets and personnel for core functions such as firefighting, police, disaster and catastrophe prevention, and public health and healthcare.

[President Lee Jae-myung: Because someone who was about to die gets to live, granting life to someone is originally the work of God, so what these firefighters do is the role of a little god.]

Housing supply measures to stabilize the real estate market were also addressed.

President Lee stressed that a large-scale housing supply must be carried out swiftly to resolve current real estate issues, emphasizing a "supply blitz."

[President Lee Jae-myung: Without being bound by existing practices and procedures, I hope you will minimize the time required from residential site preparation to various permits and groundbreakings to carry out a supply blitz.]

Kim Ji-yong, head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, who received his certificate of appointment yesterday, also attended today's Cabinet meeting.

[President Lee Jae-myung: Without taking sides and without any sanctuary, mobilize all investigative power to crack down strictly and prove the significance and necessity of the agency's existence to the public.]

Earlier, President Lee pushed back against concerns from opposition parties and civic groups that having the head of an investigative body like the agency attend Cabinet meetings could compromise neutrality, stating he could not agree with the criticism.

(Video by Jeong Sang-bo and Yoon Hyeong | Video Editing by Jang Hyun-ki)