Statement on New Year's Day
"2025 Must Be a Year to Build a Safer Republic of Korea"
On the 1st, Park Sang-woo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated in his New Year's address regarding the aircraft accident at Muan International Airport in Jeonnam, "The cause of the accident must be thoroughly investigated, and definite measures to prevent recurrence must be established." He added, "All available resources should be deployed for the bereaved families, and safety management must be further strengthened so that the public does not feel uneasy about using air travel."
Minister Park said, "The year-end and New Year period, which should have been warm, has left an indelible deep wound for all of us," and expressed "deep condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families who lost their beloved ones and are suffering in pain."
Nevertheless, Minister Park acknowledged the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport staff, saying, "Thanks to your dedicated efforts, there have been many achievements," citing the opening of the GTX era, the launch of K-Pass, the redevelopment of the first-generation new towns, and support for victims of jeonse fraud. He continued, "By strengthening the global competitiveness of domestic industries through K-City and K-Rail, and achieving a cumulative overseas construction order of 10 billion dollars, we have also greatly contributed to national economic growth."
Minister Park emphasized, "In 2025, above all, we must create a safer Republic of Korea," urging, "Let us innovate the safety systems across all sectors, including aviation safety, roads, railways, and construction, to build a safer Korea."
He went on to say, "To reverse the stagnation of the construction industry, a key national infrastructure sector, we must promote proactive early fiscal spending and bold deregulation," and stressed, "To stabilize the housing market, we must secure the maximum supply volume and focus our capabilities on laying the foundation for sustainable housing supply."
Furthermore, he stated, "We must resolve the concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area, which causes low birth rates and national land imbalance," and added, "We should foster competitive economic and living zones by region, provide quality jobs and pleasant living conditions in local areas so that young people can have affection and pride for their regions."
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