President Lee Jae Myung has ordered an urgent and thorough response to the torrential rains battering the nation.

During a senior secretaries’ meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan on Thursday, he called for safety checks in flood-prone areas such as underpasses, basements, and landslide zones.

He emphasized that the state’s foremost duty is to protect the lives and safety of its people.

Lee also addressed the persistent issue of industrial accidents, citing a recent worker fatality at POSCO’s Gwangyang plant, and pledged swift investigation and accountability.

Pointing out that Korea has the highest workplace fatality rate among OECD countries, he called for stronger measures, including boosting the number of labor inspectors and granting civil servants special investigative powers.

The president also raised alarm over welfare blind spots, after a mother and child were found dead in Daejeon 20 days after their deaths, stressing the need for a proactive administration that prevents vulnerable groups from falling through the cracks.