`Cabinet Ministers Should Also Use the Subway`

President Lee Myung-bak yesterday urged Cabinet ministers to use the subway after several were late for a Cabinet meeting because of the heavy snow.

“Taking the subway is a good option. (Ministers) also need to ride the subway in normal times,” he said.

“People who don’t normally use the subway might not know how to ride it, so how they can go to their destinations?”

Chaired by President Lee at the presidential office, the Cabinet meeting was pushed back 20 minutes to 8:20 a.m. due to the heaviest snow in Seoul since 1937.

Strategy and Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun, Unification Minister Hyun In-taek, Labor Minister Yim Tae-hee, and Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Minister Chung Jong-hwan failed to make it by the new time.

Upon hearing of this over tea ahead of the meeting, President Lee said, however, “This should be forgiven since the weather situation was out of control. An old saying has it that one doesn’t swipe when snowing.”

Health and Welfare, Family Affairs Minister Jeon Jae-hee said, “Way back when, briquette ashes were spread after snow to prevent slippery conditions.”

Culture, Tourism and Sports Minister Yu In-chon joined other ministers in reminiscing about episodes of heavy snow, saying, “Even if cars are jammed a bit amid snowy road conditions, traffic gets delayed and cars can hardly climb up hilly roads.”

The ministers who came late joined the meeting while in session.

koh@donga.com