Farewell to Late Firefighter Kim Jin-seok: "Put Down the Heavy Equipment"

[Anchor]

The funeral service has been solemnly held for the late Firefighter Kim Jin-seok, who died in a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. Remembered as a dedicated firefighter, a devoted husband, and a father to a child, his remains have been laid to rest at the Seoul National Cemetery.

Reporter Im Jihyeon has the story.

[Reporter]

At the Bucheon Gymnasium in Gyeonggi Province, where the funeral service for the late Firefighter Kim Jin-seok was solemnly held.

Fellow firefighters take heavy, staggered steps in a line, carrying the portrait of the deceased.

As the coffin of the fallen firefighter entered the funeral hall, fellow firefighters raised a synchronized salute and shed tears.

[Park Jun-seong / Firefighter (Colleague of Firefighter Kim): Now, please put down both your heavy equipment and the tense dispatches. Thank you for being with us. May you rest in peace.]

Accompanied by his wife, who entered supported by fellow firefighters, members of Firefighter Kim's family also attended the service.

Fellow firefighters choked back tears as they bid their final farewells.

[Attention, everyone. Salute to Firefighter Kim Jin-seok. Jin-seok, goodbye. You worked hard.]

The funeral took place in a solemn atmosphere, filled with firefighters wearing their formal uniforms.

Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae, serving as the chairperson of the funeral committee, promised improvements to firefighting duties and working conditions in her memorial address.

[Choo Mi-ae / Governor of Gyeonggi Province: We will not stop at simply mourning. We will more thoroughly inspect safety in the field and working environments.]

After passing by the Ojeong 119 Safety Center, where he worked until right before his martyrdom, to be seen off by his colleagues, Firefighter Kim's remains were laid to rest at the Seoul National Cemetery.

Firefighter Kim was reportedly dispatched to the scene just about 20 minutes before finishing his 24-hour shift on the day of the fire, entering the blaze first before becoming trapped by the flames.

The government posthumously promoted Firefighter Kim from Senior Firefighter (sobangjang) to Fire Inspector (sobangwi) and awarded him the Order of Service Merit.

Meanwhile, police have formed a dedicated investigation team for the Bucheon fire accident and have booked the factory's representative in their 70s on charges including professional negligence resulting in injury, investigating whether safety management guidelines were followed.

(Video by Joo Yong-jin | Video Editing by Lee So-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.