Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, urged the provincial officials handling the Hwaseong factory fire incident to "approach it as if a close person has been sacrificed and treat it as their own responsibility."
On the 25th, Governor Kim held an emergency countermeasure meeting at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office and requested, "Please do your best from managing the incident to the long-term institutional improvements and necessary measures for migrant workers until everything is fully completed."
Governor Kim first mentioned, "We need to prepare a space where the bereaved families, who are in a very difficult situation, can stay," and added, "A space for communication between the provincial office and Hwaseong City Hall is necessary."
He continued, "For each victim, one staff member should be assigned at both the provincial office and city hall to fully reflect the funeral procedures and the opinions of the bereaved families," urging support for the families.
Furthermore, he said, "In cooperation with the relevant institutions, quickly verify the identities of the victims and proceed with the funeral arrangements, and coordinate with the city hall to promptly set up a joint memorial altar," suggesting, "Separately, I hope a space where residents can come to the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office to pay their respects will also be created."
In particular, he added, "If the bereaved families are abroad, please provide support including airfare, accommodation expenses, and interpreters so that they can accompany their loved ones and be cared for until the end."
He also reflected, "This incident reminded me of the Itaewon tragedy," and said, "At that time, due to the lack of accurate information or acknowledgment of mistakes, distrust arose, resulting in significant social costs now," emphasizing, "We should take the Itaewon tragedy as a lesson and actively and transparently inform the public of the facts, information, and Gyeonggi Province’s response situation as they are."
Finally, Governor Kim mentioned mid- to long-term measures, saying, "We need to create measures including housing, medical care, education, and safety issues for migrant workers," and added, "Especially, I hope preparations are made so that children from multicultural families can receive proper education to become competitive citizens of the Republic of Korea."
Governor Kim is also scheduled to visit the fire site on the afternoon of the 25th and announce additional support measures at the Gyeonggi Province level.
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