Yoon Suk-yeol stung by criticism over going home on rainy Monday

President Yoon Suk-yeol, right, visits an apartment complex in Dongjak District, southern Seoul, on Wednesday after a retaining wall collapsed due to a landslide Monday. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk-yeol offered his apologies on behalf of the government Wednesday over the damage caused by torrential rainfall this week.

"I pray for the victims and apologize on behalf of the government to the people who have suffered inconveniences," said Yoon as he presided over a government meeting in the central disaster and safety situation room at the government complex in central Seoul.

Yoon said that he "holds unlimited liability for public safety," adding "all public officials should know this." He called for measures to prevent further damage from rain expected later in the week.

He encouraged the use of digital technologies to monitor water levels in waterways including rivers, major streams and tributaries and told local governments and agencies to come up with a better flood warning system.

The meeting was expected to be chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, but Yoon led it instead.

Yoon has been receiving flak for overseeing the disaster from his home on Monday night, when Korea saw the heaviest rainfall in 80 years and massive flooding in the capital area that left at least 10 people dead as of Wednesday.

Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers criticized Yoon for his lack of visibility Monday night and remaining at his private residence in Seocho District, southern Seoul, instead of commanding the disaster situation on-site.

On Monday evening, Yoon left the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, for his home. It was his first day back from a weeklong vacation. The newly renovated presidential residence in Hannam-dong, nearer to his office, is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

The presidential office said Tuesday that Yoon was on the phone receiving reports and issuing orders until the wee hours of Tuesday morning and didn't return to the office to avoid creating a fuss with security, which might have distracted from emergency response efforts.

Southern Seoul was one of the areas with the heaviest flooding Monday night, and Yoon mentioned the next day that even the first floor of his apartment had been filled with water.

But DP lawmakers raised concerns at the apparent lack of a command center that night and questioned Yoon's moving out of the Blue House, where the presidential office and residence were adjacent.

Rep. Jo O-seop, a DP spokesman, said Tuesday, "What can a president isolated at his home check over the phone? This is a disaster caused by the president's insistence on unconditionally relocating the presidential office and official residence."

He added in a statement, "The presidential post is one that should be responsible for the future of Korea and the lives of the people 24 hours a day."

Yoon relocated the presidential office from the Blue House in northern Gwanghwamun to the Defense Ministry complex in Yongsan as a part of a campaign pledge to make the president more accessible to the public, despite concerns about security and emergency response abilities.

Kang Seung-gyu, senior secretary to the president for civic and social agenda, shot back at accusations that there had been no command center Monday night in a KBS radio interview Wednesday.

He said that the president received real-time briefings from Prime Minister Han, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and gave instructions throughout the night, and added, "The situation room is where the president is."

When asked if the president should leave work even in the event of a national disaster or security crisis, Kang replied, "Does the president not leave work because there is a rain forecast? Situations are dealt with as they arise, and President Yoon made no mistake in that regard."

Since Tuesday, Yoon has been conspicuously leading meetings about the rain and flooding and inspecting sites of damage in Seoul.

Yoon ordered swift recovery efforts during an emergency meeting convened at the disaster and safety situation room at the Seoul government Complex Tuesday morning.

Later that day, he visited sites of flooding, including a semi-basement apartment in Sillim-dong, Gwanak District, southern Seoul, where three people drowned.

On Wednesday afternoon, Yoon visited an apartment complex in Dongjak District, southern Seoul where a retaining wall collapsed due to a landslide.

Yoon said during this visit, "The state is responsible for the safety of the people," and instructed the interior minister to support the dismantling of the wall and its reconstruction, according to presidential spokesperson Kang In-sun.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]