President Moon Jae-in said Friday that his government will treat those who die on duty and their families with the highest honor and respect.

The remarks came in a meeting with the families of government officials and armed service members who died in the line of duty. They included the families of six naval sailors who died in a 2002 armed clash with North Korean forces near the western border island of Yeonpyeong.

"I feel ashamed to even ask how you are. We cannot fill all the holes left in your hearts, but we asked you to come today to let you know that we do not forget your loss and that we are here with you," the president told the meeting, according to his spokesman Park Soo-hyun.
 

The meeting also included the bereaved family members of a mailman who died on duty due to complications believed to have been caused by overwork.

Moon vowed to make efforts to prevent the recurrence of such a tragedy, introducing the government's ongoing efforts to greatly increase the number of public workers.

"We must build a society in which those who help protect the lives and safety of others can also take care of their own lives and safety," he said.

The president has pledged to create more than 1 million new jobs in the public sector during his five-year term.

"The country will keep its promise to treat those who sacrifice themselves for the nation with honor to the end," he said.