Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae expressed deep condolences today (October 17) over the death of Fire Inspector Kim Jin-seok, who passed away in the line of duty while battling the Bucheon factory fire, stating, "I cannot express the devastating and sorrowful grief I feel."

In a post uploaded to Facebook earlier today, Governor Choo paid tribute by 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 begin to fathom the weight of their grief."

Governor Choo promised, "I will once again engrave deep in my heart how heavy a responsibility it is to protect the lives and safety of every single firefighter," and vowed, "We will thoroughly examine safety and working conditions at the scene."

Earlier, Gyeonggi Province Spokesperson Hong Eun-kwang conveyed through a written briefing that Governor Choo had instructed officials to "ensure that Gyeonggi Province devotes its utmost sincerity and respect so that there is not the slightest shortcoming on the final path of the late Fire Inspector Kim Jin-seok."

In accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family, the funeral for the deceased will be held as a Gyeonggi Provincial Government Funeral.

The mortuary has been set up at 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 2:00 p.m. today to pay her respects and comfort the bereaved family.

The deceased, who had been deployed as part of the initial response team to extinguish the fire that broke out at a Bucheon factory the previous day, was transported to a hospital for treatment but ultimately passed away at around 12:55 a.m. today.

The fire resulted in a total of eight casualties, including another firefighter who sustained severe injuries, four firefighters suffering from heat exhaustion, and two factory officials who were transported for smoke inhalation.

(Photo: Yonhap News)