Yoon Visits Retaining Wall Collapse Site, Says "The State Is Responsible for Public Safety"

Held consecutive meetings to inspect heavy rain damage and discuss river floods and urban inundation measures... Ordered prevention, recovery, and support

President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the collapsed retaining wall site at Geukdong Apartments in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 10th and urged Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min to take swift action. / [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Seok-yeol visited the apartment site where a retaining wall collapsed due to heavy rain on the 10th and said, "The state is responsible for the safety of the people." President Yoon, who ordered follow-up measures such as safety inspections, asked the residents to "trust the government and wait."

According to the presidential office, President Yoon visited the site of the collapsed retaining wall at Geukdong Apartment located in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, in the afternoon. Geukdong Apartment suffered damage when a massive retaining wall collapsed due to a nearby landslide around 9:30 p.m. on the 8th. About 160 residents of the apartment and nearby areas have evacuated to Sadang 2-dong Community Center and other locations.

After inspecting the accident site, President Yoon said, "The state is responsible for the safety of the people," and asked Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, who accompanied him, to provide generous support for the demolition of the retaining wall based on thorough safety inspections and for the necessary reconstruction. In particular, he said, "I heard that residents want temporary access, but since a secondary accident could occur, temporary access must be allowed only after ensuring safety."

To the affected residents, he said, "Please wait a little longer until a definite diagnosis confirming safety is made, even if it is inconvenient and difficult." He added, "We will thoroughly support you so that there is no inconvenience in meals or daily life while you are in temporary housing. The government will take responsibility for your safety, so please trust the government and wait."

Earlier, President Yoon held consecutive meetings on the morning of the same day at the Government Seoul Office, including the "Heavy Rain Damage Situation Inspection Meeting" and the "River Flood and Urban Flooding Countermeasures Meeting," ordering the prompt preparation of prevention, recovery, and support measures at the whole-government level. President Yoon said, "Since Monday, there has been record-breaking heavy rain in the metropolitan area, resulting in tragic accidents that took precious lives," and expressed, "I pray for the victims and, on behalf of the government, apologize to the people who have experienced inconvenience."