
President Moon Jae-in spoke by phone to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for 15 minutes from 5:47 p.m. today to call for active support from the Hungarian Government regarding the sinking of a sightseeing boat with Korean tourists on board.
President Moon began by thanking Prime Minister Orbán for accepting a request for a telephone conversation on such a short notice. He went on to say that a truly lamentable accident occurred and expressed his gratitude to the Hungarian Government for its proactive rescue operations.
The Prime Minister replied that his Government was fully prepared to cooperate with a Korean delegation. He went on to explain that the sunken boat would be located and salvaged and that some 200 divers and medical professionals were sent out to the scene to conduct search activities.
President Moon said, “The Korean Government dispatched an emergency rescue team composed of the most elite members from the military, Korea Coast Guard and National Fire Agency – all fully experienced in dealing with maritime accidents.” Then, the President asked for assistance so that they could carry out rescue operations in cooperation with the Hungarian rescue teams.
President Moon also asked for further support to ensure that “the follow-up measures proceed smoothly, including not only rescuing and treating any survivors but also recovering the dead and returning them to Korea.”
Prime Minister Orbán said that he would cooperate in every respect, adding that his side’s support in the rescue operations would be both material and emotional.