President Park Geun-hye called on firefighters Friday to play a key role in building a safer nation as the government undergoes restructuring following a series of deadly accidents earlier this year.
Park’s remark came as the National Emergency Management Agency is set to be dissolved and placed under a new government office to be charged with overseeing public safety.
Park proposed the measure amid stiff public criticism of the government’s poor initial response to April’s deadly ferry sinking, which left more than 300 people dead or missing.
“The role of firefighters will be strengthened further following the establishment of the national safety ministry, which will be the control tower for disaster response,” Park said in a speech ahead of Firefighting Day, which this year falls on Sunday.
“Firefighting must play a pivotal role on the road to building a safe and happy country through grand national reform,” she said at a ceremony held at Olympic Park in eastern Seoul.
The government will do its best to improve working conditions for firefighters and build the infrastructure needed to protect people’s lives, she added.
“I hope all of you will become the center in leading collaboration and cooperation between various organizations and agencies, and create a safe Republic of Korea through a people-centered, field-centered disaster management system,” she said. (Yonhap)
