President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized on Monday over the fatal Itaewon crowd crush.

Presiding over a meeting of senior government officials to check up on the national safety system on Monday, Yoon said he is sorry to the bereaved families of the victims who suffered from an unspeakable tragedy and the public sharing their pain and sorrow.

He said as the national leader safeguarding the lives and safety of the people, he feels distraught and heavyhearted and once again expresses his condolences.

The president said the government should handle the matter responsibly, putting all its capacity into making the nation a safer place to prevent the recurrence of a similar tragedy.

The government will also reconsider all its rules and institutions on disasters and safety accidents and address old structural problems, he said.

Yoon also promised thorough efforts to reveal the truth of the Itaewon crush transparently, adding those found to be responsible will be held to account. He specifically mentioned the deficient police response to the crush and the need for large-scale reform of the legal enforcement agency.