Profit Over People: South Korea’s President Demands Accountability After Construction Failures

> President Lee Jae-myung speaks at a senior secretaries’ meeting at the Blue House on the 28th. / Yonhap News

On the 28th, President Lee Jae-myung ordered a prompt investigation and strict accountability following the Seosomun overpass demolition accident and the discovery of missing rebar on the GTX at Samsung Station. Marking the 10th anniversary of the Guryong Station disaster, he criticized an industry culture that downplays safety and stressed the public sector’s responsibility for such incidents.

At the senior secretaries’ meeting he chaired at the Blue House that afternoon, the president noted the 10th anniversary of the Guryong Station disaster, saying, \”Many of you will remember it.\” He added that a thorough investigation is needed to determine whether the Seosomun overpass demolition accident two days earlier and the missing rebar on the GTX at Samsung Station stem from the same problem of prioritizing profit or efficiency over safety.

\”We must swiftly establish the facts,\” he said, \”and hold people strictly accountable, regardless of rank.\”

President Lee said the fact that both cases involve the public sector should be taken very seriously. \”These incidents are especially grave because they involve public institutions, which should be at the forefront of protecting public safety,\” he said.

He noted that fatal workplace accidents have persisted since the Guryong Station disaster, with countless workers continuing to lose their lives at sites that should be the safest.

\”Money must never be valued above human life,\” he said. \”We must remember that safety is the most efficient investment.\” He added that the government will focus its resources on protecting citizens’ lives.