KOR
▲ Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae looks at the back of a firefighter grieving over an injured colleague at the site of a metal painting factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, on October 16.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae expressed deep condolences today (October 17) over the death of Fire Inspector Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty while battling a factory fire in Bucheon, stating, "I cannot hide my devastation and profound grief."
Governor Choo paid tribute in a post on social media, saying, "We will never forget the courage and dedication of the deceased, who risked his own life to save the lives of others."
She added, "I bow my head and offer my deepest condolences and comfort to the bereaved family members who are suffering unspeakable sorrow after losing a beloved family member. My heart is all the heavier because I cannot fully fathom the weight of their grief."
Governor Choo promised, "I will deeply engrave in my heart once again how heavy the responsibility is to protect the life and safety of every single firefighter, and I will more thoroughly inspect safety and working conditions at the site."
Earlier, Gyeonggi Province Spokesperson Hong Eun-kwang stated through a written briefing that Governor Choo had instructed officials to "ensure that Gyeonggi Province devotes the utmost care and respect so that there is not the slightest shortcoming on the final journey of the late Fire Inspector Kim Jin-seok."
The funeral for the deceased will be held as a Gyeonggi Provincial Office funeral, in accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family.
The mortuary has been set up in Room 3 of the Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital Funeral Hall, and the farewell ceremony is scheduled to be held on October 19.
Governor Choo is scheduled to visit the mortuary at 2 p.m. today to pay her respects and comfort the bereaved family.
The deceased, who was deployed as part of the first-response team to extinguish the fire that broke out at a Bucheon factory the previous day, was transferred to a hospital for treatment but ultimately passed away at around 12:55 a.m. today.
A total of eight casualties resulted from the fire, including another firefighter who sustained serious injuries, four firefighters who showed symptoms of heat exhaustion, and two factory officials who were transported due to smoke inhalation.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
