President Lee Jae Myung pledged on Sunday to investigate safety lapses at a Ulsan thermal plant where seven workers died in a 63-meter tower collapse and to sternly punish those accountable. The accident occurred on November 6, with the last body recovered on Friday. As the ultimate guardian of public safety, Lee expressed deep sorrow.
A 63-meter tower at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan collapsed on November 6, 2025, trapping seven workers. Authorities recovered the last body on Friday, following the six others.
President Lee Jae Myung wrote on Facebook on the 16th: "As the person ultimately in charge of public safety, I am genuinely and deeply sorry. Despite the people's wishes, all seven trapped workers returned to their families as bodies. My heart is deeply torn." He described the accident as one that "should not have happened" and vowed, "I will make sure that a tragedy like this is not repeated. We need to put an end to such a tragedy, where workplaces become a site of death."
The president called for a swift and thorough investigation into the exact cause and promised stern punitive measures against those accountable, regardless of their positions. He also urged relevant ministries to review safety conditions at work sites from scratch and implement necessary measures for the winter season.
In a separate post on X, formerly Twitter, Lee stated that "rewarding people with merits and punishing those with faults is the basic principle of running an organization." These remarks support his administration's efforts to probe public officials' involvement in illegal activities tied to last year's botched martial law bid, while promoting measures to encourage civil servants. The government announced plans for such a task force on Tuesday and unveiled initiatives to support active public administration and revitalize the civil service the following day.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns over workplace safety in South Korea, underscoring the need for rigorous investigations and preventive actions.