President orders emergency action

[Anchor]

As casualties from heavy rainfall continue to rise, President Lee Jae Myung has ordered safety inspections and emergency responses in areas at risk of damage.

He stated that no small mistakes should be tolerated in cases of fatalities and instructed a thorough investigation to determine if human error was involved.

Reporter Lee Hee Yeon reports.

[Report]

During a senior advisor meeting chaired by the President, Lee Jae Myung received reports on fatalities and flooding damage caused by the heavy rain.

He urged for safety inspections in areas that frequently suffer damage or are at risk of damage.

[President Lee Jae Myung: "Safety inspections and emergency responses in areas at risk of casualties, such as underground parking lots, flood-prone rivers, landslide risk areas, and retaining walls, must be thorough…."]

In particular, he emphasized that "over-response is better than under-response" and called for proactive measures from relevant ministries and local governments.

[President Lee Jae Myung: "I want to make it clear that no small mistakes will be tolerated in protecting the lives of the people."]

Since the beginning of his term, President Lee has stressed that strict accountability will be demanded for negligence in safety management by public officials.

He also instructed that the fatalities from this heavy rain be categorized and reported.

[Lee Gyu Yeon/Chief of Public Relations and Communication at the Presidential Office: "(The President) has instructed to categorize the fatalities and thoroughly investigate whether they were due to negligence in management…."]

Considering the current heavy rain situation, the Presidential Office has decided to postpone the town hall meeting in Busan originally scheduled for tomorrow (July 18).

Instead, President Lee is expected to visit the Seoul Situation Center of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters tomorrow to assess the rain damage and review the overall response by the central and local governments.

KBS News, Lee Hee Yeon.