As Yoon Suk-yeol vows to revise party rules to prevent another tragedy, leaders around the world send messages of condolence
“It’s really horrible. A tragedy and a disaster that should never have happened.” Under the state of “shock” in which South Korea finds itself due to the deadly avalanche on Saturday during the Halloween party, which has left at least 151 dead, its president, Yoon Suk-yeol, decreed this Sunday a week of mourning and ordered to open an investigation.
“As president, who is responsible for the lives of citizens and their safety, my heart is heavy and I fight to contain my pain,” he announced in a live address broadcast to the nation in which he expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, according to the Yonhap news agency. To begin with, the Government has decreed a period of mourning that will last until Saturday and, in addition, will install an altar in the center of Seoul to honor the memory of the victims.
But his answer does not stop there, since he has also ordered this tragic event to be clarified. “The most important thing is to determine the causes of the accident and prevent similar ones from happening,” President Yoon promised. To do this, he announced that “we will investigate the reasons in depth and make fundamental improvements so that accidents like this do not happen again in the future.” In addition, he announced that he had instructed the Ministry of the Interior to review not only the Halloween celebrations planned for these days, but also other local festivals, to ensure their safety and order.
After declaring the Itaewon bar alleys where the stampede occurred a disaster area, the injured and the families of the victims will receive special financial aid as compensation. To show their solidarity, all public officials in South Korea will be required to wear a mourning ribbon during this week and flags will be flown at half-staff.
Leaders from around the world, from the United States to Japan to Germany, France and the United Kingdom, have conveyed messages of condolence to South Korea. “We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea (official name of the country) and send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to all those who are injured,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement. one of President Yoon’s staunchest allies.
For his part, the head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, was “deeply saddened by the terrible events in the center of Seoul” and assured that “we are with the people of the Republic in this difficult moment”. As millions of people around the planet feel, he lamented that “what should have been a celebration has turned into a tragedy with so many young victims.”
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