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| ▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) bows his head during his meeting with bereaved families of victims of social disasters at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on July 16, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
Lee-social disasters
Lee apologizes to surviving families of victims of social disasters
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung formally apologized Wednesday to the surviving families of victims of major social disasters and pledged stronger safety measures to prevent future man-made, avoidable tragedies.
Lee extended the apology on behalf of the government in a meeting with about 200 bereaved families of victims in the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking, the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, the 2024 underpass flooding in Osong and the plane crash at Muan International Airport last December.
"As the person ultimately responsible for state affairs, I officially offer an apology on behalf of the government for its failure to fulfill its duties, which led to the loss of many lives," Lee said during the meeting held at the presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae.
Some families were seen weeping, as Lee stood up and bowed his head.
Lee criticized a deeply rooted culture that values economic efficiency over safety, reaffirming the state's responsibility to protect its citizens.
"Due to a misguided culture that values money over life and prioritizes cost over safety, people lost their lives when they should not have," he said, pledging to prepare support and compensation measures after hearing directly from the families.
Last month, Lee visited the site of the deadly Itaewon crowd crush that claimed 159 lives during Halloween festivities in 2022, and stressed the need to strengthen public safety measures.
In the Sewol ferry sinking incident, 304 people died, including hundreds of teenagers who were going on a school trip, while the Osong underpass flooding and Muan airport crash took the lives of 14 and 175, respectively.
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