SEOUL-- President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday ordered a thorough investigation into a construction site accident that left six people unaccounted for, his spokesperson said.

Moon's order comes a day after the facade of a high-rise apartment building under construction in the southwestern city of Gwangju collapsed, leaving six workers missing.

"Thoroughly investigate the fundamental cause of the recent series of safety accidents," Moon said during a meeting with his aides, according to his spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.

He also called for a strengthening of safety measures to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents, she said.

Moon welcomed the passage of a bill that lowered the eligible age for joining political parties from 18 to 16, telling his aides to also look into expanding the infrastructure needed to increase teenagers' political participation.

On the passage of a bill mandating the inclusion of a union representative on public institutions' boards of directors, he expressed hope it will enhance the institutions' fairness and transparency.

Moon also noted the passage of a bill giving police officers greater freedom from criminal responsibility for actions taken on duty, saying special care should be exercised to prevent human rights abuses, Park said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency