Funeral Held for Late Fire Inspector Kim Jin-seok... "Put Down Your Heavy Gear"

[Anchor]

The funeral for the late Fire Inspector Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty at a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, was solemnly held yesterday (October 19). Inspector Kim was laid to rest at the Seoul National Cemetery.

Reporter Im Jihyeon has the story.

[Reporter]

Bucheon Gymnasium in Gyeonggi Province, where the funeral for the late Fire Inspector Kim Jin-seok took place.

Fellow firefighters take heavy steps in a procession, holding the portrait of the deceased.

As the coffin entered the funeral hall, firefighters saluted in unison and shed tears.

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

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

Fellow firefighters bid their final farewells with tears in their voices.

[Attention, everyone. Salute to Fire Inspector Kim Jin-seok. Goodbye, Jin-seok, hyung. You worked hard.]

The funeral was held in a solemn atmosphere, filled with firefighters wearing their formal uniforms.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, serving as the chairperson of the funeral committee, promised to improve firefighting work conditions and treatment in her eulogy.

[Choo Mi-ae / Governor of Gyeonggi Province: We will not stop at just mourning. We will more thoroughly inspect safety on site and working environments.]

After stopping by the Ojeong 119 Safety Center, where Inspector Kim worked until right before passing away in the line of duty, to be seen off by his colleagues, his remains were enshrined at the Seoul National Cemetery.

Inspector Kim reportedly rushed to the scene of the fire and was the first to enter just about 20 minutes before finishing his 24-hour shift on the day of the blaze, where he became trapped by the flames.

The government posthumously promoted Inspector Kim by one rank from senior firefighter (firefighter first class) to fire inspector and awarded him the Okjo Order of Service Merit.

Meanwhile, the police have formed a dedicated task force to investigate the Bucheon fire accident, while booking the factory representative in their 70s on charges including professional negligence resulting in injury to investigate whether safety management rules 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.