As floods devastate communities across South Korea and the Philippines, their presidents have rebuked officials for indulging in merrymaking and political publicity instead of focusing on disaster management.
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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday ordered a “strict crackdown on the careless public officials who went about drinking and dancing or acted thoughtlessly” during a recent devastating rainfall, which claimed at least 19 lives nationwide.
Lee said it was important to punish misconduct by civil servants during a cabinet meeting, referring to incidents involving Guri Mayor Baek Kyung-hyeon and North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan.
Baek had been filmed singing at a restaurant in Hongcheon while neighbouring areas in northern Gyeonggi were battling flood damage.
Kim came under fire for drinking with councillors on the second anniversary of the 2023 Osong underpass flooding in Cheongju, which killed 14.
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On the other hand, Lee has praised frontline responders, urging ministries to “identify and promote exemplary cases to serve as models”, according to a report by the Korea JoongAng Daily.
He has also directed agencies to prioritise efforts on search for the missing, designate special disaster zones and swiftly distribute grants to flood-hit communities, including Sancheong county in South Gyeongsang, which reported 10 fatalities.