Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo on Tuesday urged ministers to ensure a proper and effective initial response to disasters as the first anniversary of a deadly ferry sinking approaches.
The government was under intense fire last year for its bungled response to the ferry sinking on April 16 that left more than 300 people dead or missing, mostly high school students.
Critics argue that the government’s poor initial response to the disaster contributed to the high death toll.
South Korea has since created the Ministry of Public Safety and Security as part of efforts to boost safety following the deadly ferry disaster.
“Still, there’s a limit as to how much the ministry can handle,” Lee said in a Cabinet meeting in the new administrative city of Sejong, about 150 kilometers south of Seoul.
He also told officials to clarify which roles they would play down to the last detail as he urged them to carry out field inspections to ensure an effective response system is in place. (Yonhap)
