BUCHEON — A funeral service for fire sergeant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty while battling a factory fire in Bucheon and was posthumously promoted to fire lieutenant, was held on the morning of the 19th at Bucheon Gymnasium in Wonmi District.
The service included a moment of silence, a reading of his career record, a posthumous one-rank promotion from fire sergeant to fire lieutenant, the posthumous award of the Order of Service Merit, a funeral address, eulogies, and the laying of flowers and burning of incense.
Choo Mi-ae, the Gyeonggi Province governor who chaired the funeral committee, bowed her head during the funeral address and said, "We failed to protect a firefighter who ran into a dangerous scene to save others." She pledged to "face the problems on the ground and not look away."
A colleague said in a eulogy, "I will long remember the time we spent working together, laughing and leaning on one another." The colleague added, "I was grateful we could be together. Now set down the heavy gear and the tense call-outs, and please rest in peace."
Family members and relatives attending the service wept as they laid flowers together. Gov. Choo; the commissioner of the National Fire Agency; and the speaker of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council also laid flowers in turn and prayed for the repose of the deceased.
After the service, the procession was to pass the Bucheon Fire Station and the Ojeong 119 Safety Center, where Kim had served, before cremation at the Seoul Memorial Park and burial at the Seoul National Cemetery.
The fire broke out at about 8:38 a.m. on the 16th at a metal parts painting factory in Nae-dong, Ojeong District, Bucheon. Kim was among the first crew deployed to the scene but became trapped inside the plant when the flames suddenly intensified. He was found in cardiac arrest and taken to a hospital, where he died early the following morning.