17 Firefighters Placed on Leave 8 Months After Female Officer's Death Amid Workplace Harassment Allegations

Seventeen fire officials have been placed on standby following the death of a female firefighter in Gwangju.

It has been confirmed that the Gwangju Fire and Safety Headquarters issued the standby orders on June 25 for a total of 17 individuals, including six from the Gwangju Fire and Safety Headquarters, nine from the Gwangsan Fire Station, and two from the National Fire Agency, following a disciplinary request from the Government Joint Inspection Team under the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

This action follows a two-week investigation by the Office for Government Policy Coordination that began on June 11, which confirmed various regulatory violations. The measures come eight months after the death of the female officer, identified as Fire Corporal A, who was stationed at the Gwangsan Fire Station.

Allegations that Fire Corporal A, who passed away last October, had been harassed due to workplace drinking culture were first raised in an SBS report. Following the report, the Office for Government Policy Coordination launched an investigation under the directive of President Lee Jae-myung, uncovering multiple violations, including workplace bullying, forced attendance at drinking parties, and the dismissal of requests for an internal audit filed by the bereaved family.

The investigation revealed that Fire Corporal A was effectively forced to attend drinking parties, participating in 24 such events over a 15-month period. At some of these gatherings, she was reportedly coerced into drinking "bomb shots" (a mixture of beer and spirits) in a single gulp, known as a "one-shot."

Furthermore, it was confirmed that she was forced to sit next to male superiors, with instructions such as "Sit between the chief and the division head" or "Sit next to the division head." She was also allegedly forced to prepare for various events for superiors and run personal errands.

Regarding the bereaved family's request for an investigation into her death, it was found that the Gwangsan Fire Station had concluded its probe with a perfunctory report stating there were "no unusual findings."

Based on the investigation results, the Office for Government Policy Coordination has demanded strict disciplinary action against the 17 firefighters involved in misconduct and requested a criminal investigation into two retired firefighters who held supervisory responsibilities.

Those excluded from their duties are currently not reporting to work and will be referred to a disciplinary committee to determine the level of punishment.

The Gwangju Fire and Safety Headquarters plans to initiate disciplinary procedures once it receives the official investigation report from the Office for Government Policy Coordination, assessing the extent of each individual's involvement.

Reported by Kim Taewon | Video by JISOO Ryu | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.