The National Fire Agency has launched an investigation into allegations that audit officials from the Gwangju Fire Headquarters engaged in gambling during an official workshop themed around "integrity."
According to the Gwangju Fire Headquarters and other sources, allegations surfaced belatedly that some attendees engaged in speculative activities such as "jjilleo" during a workshop related to internal audits held in Yeonggwang, Jeollanam-do, last February.
"Jjilleo" is a form of gambling that involves determining winners and losers and wagering money using flower cards (hwatu).
The National Fire Agency's investigation is reportedly targeting six attendees from the event.
As suspicions arose from an official event involving employees in charge of internal audits, the Gwangju Fire Headquarters decided to have the National Fire Agency handle the probe instead of conducting an internal investigation.
The Gwangju Fire Headquarters transferred the matter to the National Fire Agency last week, and the agency is currently verifying the facts by questioning the participants.
The controversial event was the "2026 THE Integrity Workshop," held for two days starting in late February at the Beopseong Healing Convention Town in Yeonggwang-gun.
A total of 31 people attended, including 5 officials from the headquarters and 26 from frontline fire agencies.
At the time, the workshop included integrity training and briefings on pending issues for the fire audit team, with participants reciting an integrity declaration and discussing measures to improve integrity across fire stations.
An official from the Gwangju Fire Headquarters stated, "We could have conducted our own investigation, but to prevent controversies over protecting our own, we handed it over to the National Fire Agency," adding, "Specific details are currently being verified."
Previously, in October of last year, a female firefighter at the Gwangju Fire Headquarters suffered repeatedly from being pressured into dinners and drinking, eventually taking her own life.
The Gwangju Fire Headquarters dismissed two firefighters pointed out as direct perpetrators and disciplined 15 others identified as bystanders.
Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Design by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
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