(Unofficial Translation)

Let me begin the 51st Cabinet Meeting.

Beginning this month, a seasonal fine dust management system came into force. It is an extraordinary measure being implemented for the first time to reduce the occurrence of highly concentrated fine dust. To make the measure more effective, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Gyeonggi-do Governor Lee Jae-myung and Incheon Mayor Park Nam-choon are joining today’s Cabinet Meeting. This is the first time for a mayor or governor, other than Seoul’s mayor, to attend the Cabinet Meeting. I am grateful to the heads of these three local governments.

My Administration began to take on fine dust as a national agenda item by including it in the category of social disasters. We have enacted a special law on fine dust, set up the National Council on Climate Change and Air Quality and drastically increased funding for responses. Together with implementing multifarious measures to reduce fine dust, we have been stepping up climate cooperation with China.

Thanks to these efforts, the annual average fine dust level has been falling. In spite of this, the frequency and duration of periods with highly concentrated fine dust rose last winter. The seasonal management system was put in place as a special measure to address this problem after the National Council on Climate Change and Air Quality collected policy suggestions from the public. The system is intended to decrease the frequency of concentrated fine dust itself by taking tougher, preemptive measures to reduce it because all of the post-emergency reduction measures have had their limits. 

Driving old diesel-powered vehicles and other automobiles classified as Class 5 in terms of exhaust emissions used to be restricted only when emergency reduction measures were announced, but tougher driving limits will be imposed in and around Seoul even on ordinary days between December and next March. Those employed in the public sector will no longer be allowed to drive not only official vehicles but also their personal automobiles on odd or even workdays, depending on the last digit in the license plate number. Other multi-faceted measures will be enforced for emissions reduction. The suspension of operations at coal-fired power plants will be drastically expanded. In addition to limiting the operating capacities of the power plants, intensive crackdowns on fine dust emitting businesses will be carried out, using drones and monitoring devices mounted on vehicles. Fine dust readouts from chimneys and construction sites will be made public in real time. As preparations have been thoroughly made with the Prime Minister’s office playing a central role, I urge all ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Environment in charge of the issue, to pool their efforts and implement these measures without disruption.

At a time when the bill to revise the Special Act on the Reduction and Management of Fine Dust has not passed, the cooperation and role of local governments are especially crucial for the seasonal management system to be effective in the relevant areas. The shared commitments and cooperation of the three local governments in the capital area – the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Province of Gyeonggi-do and Incheon Metropolitan City, have laid the foundation for the recently adopted fine dust seasonal management system. I hope that the three local governments, which have put in a great deal of effort in advance of other cities and provinces, will also play a pivotal role in disseminating their own experiences and achievements throughout the country. 

I’d like to make a request to the National Assembly as well. Fine dust is a key issue associated with the people’s daily lives and health maintenance. Even with the Government and local governments implementing special countermeasures, legal backing is still needed to ensure that the seasonal management system, which includes a ban on the operation of emission Class 5 vehicles, takes root. I look forward to an early revision of the Special Act on the Reduction and Management of Fine Dust. 

I also ask for the people’s participation and cooperation. For its part, the Government will provide detailed information and as much support as we can to minimize the burden facing the public, for instance, by subsidizing the installation of diesel particulate filters. Numerous inconveniences are expected, but still, I ask the people to actively join us in implementing the seasonal management system as it is for everyone’s health. 

Today, laws will be promulgated to make firefighters civil servants of the central government. An era when all firefighters are placed under the central government will be finally ushered in soon. As a consequence, public fire safety services will be greatly improved. To date, local governments’ differing financial conditions have impacted equipment, firefighting personnel and their treatment, resulting in regional disparities in fire-related safety services. Now, the nation’s responsibility for firefighting services has been raised by placing all firefighters under the central government. This will in turn help to upgrade the fire safety services of all local governments and ensure that all citizens will benefit from equitable fire services regardless of where they live. 

Making firefighters employees of the central government also has added significance as it strengthens the national disaster response system in the face of ever-increasing major catastrophes and compound disasters. Following the launch of my Administration, the National Fire Agency was upgraded to an independent agency of the central government. Now, taking it one step further, the Agency has been positioned as a field control tower for large catastrophes. In the event of a major disaster, the Fire Commissioner will be able to directly command and supervise the directors of provincial and municipal fire headquarters and the heads of individual fire stations. 

By transforming multiple municipal and provincial response systems into one nationwide response system, the National Fire Agency will be able to respond more efficiently to disasters by, for instance, dealing with local emergencies regardless of jurisdiction and integrating management of firefighting helicopters on a national scale. 

It has also become possible for firefighters suffering from poor working conditions to receive better treatment. They protect the people’s lives and safety on the frontlines, but they are exposed to high risks and face hardships as a result of understaffing. However, there is a limit to what local governments can do on their own to improve their treatment. Now, the nation will take on a necessary role to protect the health and safety of firefighters. While I am in office, the Government will continue efforts to increase the number of firefighters out in the field by 20,000, improve their treatment and build all-inclusive recovery centers for firefighters as planned. 

Before the law comes into effect in April, I ask you to take all of the steps necessary, in accordance with the plans, to change the status of firefighters, including revising enforcement decrees and other sub-ordinances and creating a plan to standardize the organization of local fire departments. Moreover, I ask you to make thorough preparations to increase the rate of arrival within the Golden Time and expand the fire safety subsidy tax to support the payroll costs for firefighters.