SEOUL: South Korea President Lee Jae Myung (pic) on Sunday pledged to determine whether there were safety lapses at a thermal plant site in the southeastern city of Ulsan where seven workers were killed, and to sternly punish those found accountable, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Lee made the remark after authorities on Friday recovered the last of the seven workers who were trapped when a 63-metre tower at the plant collapsed on Nov 6. The bodies of the six others had been recovered.
“As the person ultimately in charge of public safety, I am genuinely and deeply sorry.Despite the people’s wishes, all seven trapped workers returned to their families as bodies. My heart is deeply torn,” Lee wrote on Facebook.
Lee called the accident one that “should not have happened” and vowed to prevent similar accidents.
“I will make sure that a tragedy like this is not repeated. We need to put an end to such a tragedy, where workplaces become a site of death,” he said.
The president called for a swift and thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident and vowed to take stern punitive measures against those found accountable, regardless of their positions.
He also called on relevant ministries to review safety circumstances at work sites from scratch and take necessary safety measures during the winter season. – BERNAMA
