Yoon promises to prevent similar tragedies after deaths of mother, 2 daughters

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Tuesday he will take special care of struggling citizens to prevent the recurrence of tragedies such as the recent apparent suicides of a mother and her two daughters.

Speaking to reporters as he arrived for work, Yoon shared the story of the family who was found dead at their home in Suwon, south of Seoul, after reportedly struggling with illness and financial difficulties.

"I have told the people until now that when it comes to welfare, which is the foundation of freedom and solidarity, I would pursue welfare for the weak rather than welfare for politics, and meet with the weak who are unable to express their difficulties in one voice and look after their difficult lives," he said.

"The central government will create a system whereby these people can be taken care of, and as president, I will pay special attention to struggling citizens and work with local governments to ensure such incidents don't happen again," he added.

The apparent suicide deaths of the mother, who was in her 60s, and her two daughters, who were in their 40s, shocked the nation especially as it brought back memories of a similar case in 2014, when a mother and two daughters living in a basement apartment in Seoul were found dead, leaving behind their final rent and utility bill payments in an envelope.

Yoon also addressed the economy and the continued vacancies in his Cabinet.

He said he will prepare well against any negative impact on markets from the plunging exchange rate and promptly announce his picks for health and education ministers as the search and vetting process are under way.

His remarks came a day after the won fell to the 1,330-won level against the US dollar for the first time in more than 13 years amid prospects that the Federal Reserve will maintain its aggressive rate hike policy. (Yonhap)