President Lee Jae Myung visited the location of the 2023 underground passage flooding in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province on Monday, ahead of the second anniversary of the disaster that killed 14 people and injured 16 others.

Lee received a briefing from the environment ministry and the provincial government on what caused the levee at nearby Miho River to break following a heavy rainfall on July 15, 2023, how the collapse flooded the underground pass as well as preventive efforts.

According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, Lee called for the central and local governments to distinguish between tasks to divvy up and others to cooperate in, and take responsibility accordingly.

The president stressed that going forward, those found responsible for causing casualties due to lax management will be sternly held accountable under completely different criteria.

Lee, who had pledged to protect public safety in his election victory speech, is scheduled to meet with the families of victims from the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking, 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, 2023 Cheongju underpass flooding and 2024 Jeju Air plane crash on Wednesday.