President Moon Jae-in said the country's response to the COVID-19 outbreak comes from lessons learned during the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster that claimed the lives of more than 300 people.

Marking the sixth anniversary of the ferry sinking on Thursday, Moon wrote on his social media account that the nation cried together, jointly responded to take responsibility and realized how deeply connected everyone is through the incident.

Moon said the South Korean people are reaffirming mutual dependency in coping with the pandemic, and taking part in social distancing and self-quarantine to prevent untimely deaths.

The president then vowed to do all that he can to proceed with construction of a memorial park and to find the truth behind the ferry sinking.

Stating that people's day-to-day lives will likely completely change in the post-coronavirus era, Moon pledged to thoroughly prepare for the "new normal," as well as further develop the country's disaster response.