SEOUL, President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed his aides Thursday to "delve into" the people's lives to better look after them amid their difficulties, his office said.
"From the chief of staff to the senior secretaries, secretaries and staff at Yongsan, everyone should not just sit at their desks, but delve into the sites of people's livelihoods and personally hear their clear voices," he said, according to senior presidential secretary for press affairs Kim Eun-hye. "I, too, will delve deeper into the livelihood sites of the people in difficulty."
Yongsan is where the presidential office is situated.
The instruction came a day after Yoon met with leaders of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) in the wake of its defeat in last week's by-election for chief of Seoul's Gangseo Ward. The election had been considered a key test of voter sentiment ahead of next April's parliamentary elections.
"The party and the presidential office noted that there are far too many people in difficulty and young people in despair, and that the people's lives should be looked after more thoroughly," Kim said Wednesday after Yoon's meeting with PPP leaders. "For this, they agreed on the need for the party and the government to communicate more closely on policy matters."
Yoon also met with his aides earlier Wednesday and urged them to step closer into the lives of the public.
"The people are always and without condition correct," he was quoted as saying. "We must not make excuses for any criticism."
Source: Yonhap News Agency