▲ 119 Rescue Dog 'Chungseong'
'Chungseong,' a 119 rescue dog who played an active role at major search sites across the country for seven years, retired today (July 1) and returned to the arms of a new family.
The Busan Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters held a retirement ceremony for Chungseong at the 119 Special Response Unit in Haeundae-gu, Busan, this afternoon.
The event was attended by the head of the Special Response Unit, three former handlers who worked with Chungseong, and two new family members who adopted the dog, all gathered to celebrate its retirement.
Chungseong, a male Belgian Malinois, was born on November 15, 2015, and was deployed to the field on April 5, 2019.
Equipped with Level 1 certifications in both mountain and disaster search, Chungseong won first place at the National 119 Rescue Dog Competition in 2019 and 2022, and placed in various other competitions a total of four times.
Over the course of seven years and one month, Chungseong was dispatched to 281 major disaster sites, including the Gwangju IPARK collapse in 2022 and the Ulsan thermal power plant collapse in 2025, saving 16 lives.
At 11 years old, which is equivalent to being in his 80s in human years, it was decided that Chungseong should retire as it would be difficult for him to continue intense rescue operations.
The fire authorities selected a family residing in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, as the final adopters after a rigorous on-site inspection and review process.
Chungseong is expected to spend the rest of his life at a detached house.
A rescue worker who served as his partner in the field said, "Today is a meaningful day as Chungseong, who has always lived a disciplined life to be ready for disaster sites that could happen at any time, goes to his new family," adding, "I hope he leaves the rescue field behind and spends comfortable and happy times."
(Photo: Provided by Busan Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, Yonhap News)
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