President Lee Jae Myung urged the government on Wednesday to act faster to prevent avoidable deaths, on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy that claimed 159 lives.
Lee made the remarks while chairing a national safety meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, his first time presiding over a plenary session of the Presidential Committee on Life and Safety since its launch in July.
"Both before and after the tragedy, there have been many deaths that could have been prevented and many lives that could have been saved," Lee said, referring to the Oct. 29, 2022, disaster during Halloween celebrations in Itaewon, central Seoul.
"We must always reflect painfully on whether the state has properly protected its people's lives in all the disasters and tragedies we have experienced, and whether victims and their families have been adequately protected," he added.
Lee stressed that "the government must be one that saves lives" during the meeting, which brought together about 70 participants, including government officials, civilian committee members, disaster victims and bereaved families.
"Even at this very moment, many people are losing their lives across our society," he said. "We must reduce deaths that could have been prevented had the government acted sooner."
Lee also called for the effective implementation of the Framework Act on Life and Safety, which is to take effect Dec. 3. The legislation explicitly recognizes the right to safety and strengthens the responsibilities of the central and local governments to protect lives and the rights of disaster victims.
"This law embodies our collective reflection and determination to ensure that precious lives are never again lost because of the state's absence," Lee said. "We must never forget that this law was built upon countless tears and suffering."
Lee emphasized that passing the legislation was only the first step, and that its effectiveness would ultimately depend on whether it saves lives.
"What matters now is actually guaranteeing the right to safety enshrined in the law," Lee said. "The success of this law should be measured not so much by how many measures are introduced, but by how many lives are actually protected and saved."
The Presidential Committee on Life and Safety is tasked with coordinating national safety policies, identifying gaps in existing protections and reviewing measures to prevent fatal accidents and disasters.
Discussions at the meeting focused on reducing deaths from suicide, deaths among people living alone, industrial accidents and crowd-related disasters, as well as strengthening protections for disaster victims and vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities.
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