President Yoon Suk Yeol attended a Christmas service at a church in Seoul on Monday and vowed efforts to build the state to become a "good gift" to people, his office said.
Yoon visited the Chungdong First Methodist Church in central Seoul in the morning to take part in the church service for about an hour, according to the presidential office.
In response to a supportive message by an elderly Christian after the service, Yoon said he will make efforts to make the country become a "good gift," according to Kim Soo-kyung, spokesperson at the presidential office.
The Chungdong First Methodist Church, established by the U.S. missionary Henry Gerhard Appenzeller in 1885, is the first protestant church in South Korea. On last year's Christmas, Yoon attended a worship service at a church in northern Seoul where he used to attend during his childhood.
Meanwhile, Yoon mourned the death of people in a fire that broke out at an apartment building on Christmas day.
The blaze broke out at the apartment in Seoul's Dobong district early in the morning, leaving two people dead and injuring 29 others.
"I express my condolence to the victims of the fire and their bereaved families. I also hope for the quick recovery of the injured," Yoon said in a Facebook page.
"Protecting people's lives and safety is the biggest reason why a state exists. I am urging government officials in charge of public safety to do their best in protecting people's lives and safety," he noted. (Yonhap)
