President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed gratitude toward foreign leaders and citizens around the world for sending condolences for the 156 lives lost in the horrific crowd crush in Itaewon.

At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Yoon voiced his appreciation while pledging to provide the same level of state support that South Korean citizens receive to the 26 foreigners from 14 countries who died in the tragedy as well as any foreigners among the 151 injured.

Expressing grief and regret over the loss of so many young lives, Yoon said that picking up the pieces and seeking follow-up measures are of the utmost priority, urging officials to attend to the bereaved families as if they were their own.

With a recent spate of accidents leading to concerns about insufficient safety protocols, the president called for a thorough inspection of existing prevention and response systems.

He then stressed the need for systematic research and development in crowd management through the use of drones and cutting-edge digital capabilities, and plans to convene a meeting of Cabinet members and experts to check up on the nation's safety management system.