President Lee "I will forever remember your sacrifice"... Condolences to firefighters who died in Bucheon fire (comprehensive)

On the 17th, President Lee Jae-myung visited the funeral of the late Fire Commissioner Kim Jin-seok, who died in a Bucheon factory fire, to pay his respects and pay tribute to the deceased.

President Lee, dressed in a black suit, entered the funeral hall set up at the funeral hall of Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital in Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do at 6:14 pm with a stern expression.

Minister of Public Administration and Security Yoon Ho-jung, National Fire Agency Commissioner Choi Yong-cheol, Chief of Staff Lim Kwang-hyun, and First Affiliated Office Director Kim Hyun-ji also attended the ceremony.

President Lee first wrote in the guestbook, “The people will forever remember your sacrifice in the safe daily life you have protected.”

Afterwards, President Lee, wearing white gloves, laid a wreath in front of the deceased's portrait, knelt down and burned incense, then stood up and bowed his head in silence.

President Lee then posthumously awarded the deceased the Okjo Order of Merit Service Medal in honor of his noble dedication and sacrifice and comforted the bereaved family.

President Lee later met with the deceased's spouse, listened to her story, and spent a long time in mourning, Blue House Chief Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jeong said in a written briefing.

When President Lee asked how old the deceased's daughter was, the answer he received was "7 years old," and he remained silent for a while with a grim expression on his face. He also comforted the deceased's father, who was outside the mortuary.

Chief Spokesperson Kang said that President Lee nodded deeply to the bereaved family's words, "We ask that your daughter (the deceased) be able to grow up well," and then expressed regret that he could not express more than gratitude for the sacrifices of firefighters working for the country.

After giving his condolences, President Lee prayed for the speedy recovery of a firefighter who was injured at the same fire scene and was being treated, and instructed Minister Yoon, who accompanied him, to spare no effort in providing necessary support for treatment and recovery.

President Lee also emphasized, "The nation must fulfill its responsibility to strengthen field safety so that firefighters who devote themselves to the lives and safety of the people can perform their duties in a safer environment, and to provide courtesy and support commensurate with their dedication and sacrifice."

He added, "The nation must remember to the end the dedication of the deceased who sacrificed himself while protecting the lives of the people and treat them with due respect." He added, "The nation must carefully look into the future of the family and young children left behind and be with them until the end."

President Lee later conveyed news of his condolences to

The deceased, who had been dispatched as a first responder to extinguish a fire that broke out at a factory in Bucheon the previous day, was taken to the hospital and received treatment until he died around 0:55 a.m. that day.

In order to show courtesy to Fire Commissioner Kim, the government plans to provide a first-class promotion from fire chief to fire commissioner, a posthumous award with the Okjo Military Service Medal, and burial at the National Cemetery.

In addition to the deceased, another firefighter in his 40s was seriously injured in this fire, and 4 other firefighters showed symptoms of heat exhaustion and 2 factory workers were also transported due to smoke inhalation, resulting in a total of 8 casualties.