"Discussion on Supplementary Measures for Elderly Driver's License Renewal Should Begin"
On June 2, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the funeral halls of two city hall officials who lost their lives in a wrong-way driving accident near City Hall Station to pay his respects.
That afternoon, Mayor Oh visited the funeral hall at Sinchon Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, where the late city official Yoon was laid to rest. After paying his respects, Mayor Oh told reporters, "It is truly heartbreaking that a young employee with a bright future has passed away in an unexpected traffic accident," adding, "I pray for the deceased’s soul."
On the afternoon of the 2nd, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the funeral hall at Seoul National University Hospital, near City Hall Station, where the memorial for the employee who died in the wrong-way driving accident was set up, and left the funeral hall after paying his respects. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Mayor Oh said, "I hope this accident sparks a social discussion on what supplementary measures are needed for renewing driver’s licenses for elderly and super-elderly drivers," and added, "It is really important to discuss and publicize mandatory installation of devices that prevent pedal misapplication or malfunction, as is done in other countries, to prevent recurrence of such accidents."
Mayor Oh then moved to the funeral hall at the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, where the body of Kim, the head of the City Hall Building Operations Team, was laid to rest, to pay tribute. At the site, he said, "I visited the accident scene and saw that the guardrails were severely damaged. We will take this opportunity to inspect them," and added, "We will use this as a chance to check what improvements are needed to protect lives as much as possible in the event of unforeseen traffic accidents."
After paying respects, Mayor Oh also posted on Facebook, writing, "Until yesterday, we had two colleagues who worked hard together and ran toward the same goal, but they lost their lives," and "There were also bank employees near City Hall. They were all our husbands, fathers, and brothers."
Mayor Oh described the incident as "a large-scale social disaster with casualties," emphasizing, "We will ensure that all possible support, including relief funds and funeral expenses stipulated by the Disaster and Safety Act, as well as citizen safety insurance for Seoul residents, is provided without fail."
He also said, "We will conduct safety inspections," adding, "We will carefully review the accident process to identify any vulnerabilities on the road, and separately reassess safety hazards in places such as the subway."
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