Gov. Lee Jae-myung: "Protecting Citizens' Lives and Safety is the Most Important Duty"

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] Governor Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province emphasized that "protecting the lives and safety of citizens is the state's most important duty."

The governor made these remarks at the '2020 New Year's ceremony' held at the Fire and Disaster Management Headquarters on the 2nd, urging officials to approach their public service with pride and a sense of mission as "the subjects who determine the fate of the Republic of Korea."

The governor began by saying "I would like to attach significance to this year's ceremony being held at the Fire and Disaster Management Headquarters, following last year," and stated "the protection of citizens' lives and safety is the state's most important duty, and the role of firefighters protecting citizens' lives and safety on the front lines is truly significant."

The governor continued, "Public officials may think of the status and influence they hold as 'theirs,' but that is absolutely not the case. It is only temporarily entrusted to them," adding "I believe 'servant' is the best word to describe a public official. The position of a public official is ultimately determined by the people, who are the masters."

The governor concluded by stating "the most important role of a public official is to maintain order fairly and transparently so that members of the state have predictable hope," and urged "how public officials fairly and properly exercise their respective powers ultimately determines the fate of the nation. Since the fate of the next generation and the fate of the Republic of Korea rest in the hands of public officials, I hope you will have the pride of saying 'I am the subject.'"

Meanwhile, at the ceremony, an event was held in which the governor and three Fire and Disaster Management Headquarters staff members attempted to divine Gyeonggi Province's fortune for 2020 through a game of Yut (traditional Korean game of chance). The result showed that "Jeonhwawibokk (轉禍爲福)" – meaning misfortune transforms into blessing – would be Gyeonggi Province's fortune for the year.