Busan: The presidential office on Friday urged the implementation of comprehensive measures aimed at preventing residential fires, following recent tragedies where children lost their lives in apartment fires while their parents were away.
According to Yonhap News Agency, two young girls, aged 8 and 6, were found deceased on Wednesday after a fire erupted in their Busan apartment. This tragic event occurred just days following a similar incident where two other girls, aged 10 and 8, perished in a separate apartment fire. In both instances, the children were home alone, and the apartments were not equipped with sprinkler systems.
Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, instructed the Office for Government Policy Coordination (OPC) to collaborate with relevant ministries to evaluate the situation, pinpoint structural causes behind these recurring incidents, and devise thorough countermeasures, as stated by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.
Furthermore, the presidential chief of staff called for effective strategies, including inspections of older apartment buildings lacking fire prevention systems and a review of the circumstances in which children are left unattended at night.
OPC Minister Yoon Chang-ryeol conducted an emergency response meeting shortly afterward, acknowledging the government's responsibility for "failing to protect young lives." He pledged to expand child care support for parents who must leave their children unattended due to work commitments, with a focus on high-demand neighborhoods and low-income families.
"In particular, we will strengthen child care support services for late-night hours and urgent child care needs," Yoon stated. Regarding older apartments constructed before sprinkler systems became mandatory, he mentioned that the government would explore options for retrofitting these devices while developing methods to effectively extinguish fires early and ensure the safe evacuation of children and the elderly.