Key facts
- President Lee Jae Myung stated that protecting people's lives and safety takes precedence over all else.
- The Framework Act on Life and Safety is set to take effect next Wednesday.
- The law mandates government duties to ensure public safety rights, including protection of life and property.
- The Itaewon crowd crush in 2022, which killed 159 people, is cited as a reason for the new law.
President Lee Jae Myung urged maximum government efforts to prevent safety-related accidents on Wednesday, stating that protecting people's lives and safety takes precedence over all else. The remarks were made at the second plenary meeting of the presidential committee on life and safety, held at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. The Framework Act on Life and Safety, which stipulates the duties of the country and local governments to ensure people's rights to safety, is scheduled to take effect next Wednesday. The law follows several high-profile deadly incidents, including the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush that killed 159 people. Lee emphasized the government's commitment to public safety and called for prompt action to minimize deaths.