The South Korea Prime Minister, Han Duck-soo, has apologized for making a quip at a news briefing with foreign journalists with regard to the Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon on Wednesday.
Han, in a statement said he apologizes for making people feel uncomfortable regardless of the circumstances.
During the media briefing on Tuesday, Han was asked what is “the beginning and the end’’ of the government’s responsibility over the tragedy that left at least 156 people dead.
He replied that the government will not avoid responsibility for the disaster.
He added that the government should take unlimited responsibility for the lives and safety of the people.
A technical problem occurred with simultaneous translation equipment, prompting a reporter to ask a question in the Korean language.
Han quipped with a smile, asking what is “the beginning and the end of responsibility of a person who is responsible for what you can’t hear well.
With the quip drawing criticism, Han said he made the remark “with the intention of asking for understanding about the technical problem.
Also, Han acknowledged the insufficient crowd control and the government’s responsibility for the tragedy during the media briefing, according to the statement.
Discussion about this post