"Gmarket and Auction Receive Prime Minister's Commendation on Firefighters' Day for Contributing to Firefighters' Welfare Improvement"

Firefighters holding anti-twist fire hoses supported by Gmarket and Auction.

Since 2017, 'Here, Hero' Campaign Supporting Firefighters Launched
Largest Scale Among Distribution Companies, Total Support of 3.024 Billion KRW

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Gmarket and Auction announced on the 10th that they received the Prime Minister's Commendation, the highest honor for private distribution companies this year, at the 59th Firefighters' Day commemorative event held on the 9th.

The government awards on the 59th Firefighters' Day are given to individuals, public officials, and organizations who have contributed to the development of firefighting, the welfare improvement, and better treatment of firefighters. Gmarket and Auction were recognized for their contributions in ▲improving firefighters' working conditions ▲enhancing firefighter welfare including support for line-of-duty deaths and injuries ▲raising public awareness of firefighters and fire safety.

Since 2017, Gmarket and Auction have been running the 'Here, Hero' campaign to support 'heroes beside us,' the firefighters, through member-participation social contribution funds such as sponsorship shopping and sharing shopping funds. To date, they have provided the largest cumulative support among domestic distribution companies, totaling 3.024 billion KRW for firefighting support.

To improve firefighters' working conditions, they have supplied firefighting activity items and equipment such as snow removal machines, shoe dryers, drone thermal cameras, and lumbar protection vests to a total of 12 local fire headquarters including Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gwangju·Incheon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Changwon, Jeju, Jeonbuk, and Jeonnam. Last year, during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Daegu·Gyeongbuk region, they also delivered COVID-19 hygiene supplies to local fire headquarters.

In the field of firefighter welfare, Gmarket and Auction have conducted support activities for firefighters battling illness, injured firefighters, and families of firefighters who died in the line of duty in connection with their events. In 2019, to commemorate the passage of the law converting firefighters to national public officials, they provided hotel accommodation vouchers to injured firefighters, and in 2020, resort accommodation vouchers to firefighters who played active roles at major incident sites. In 2020, through the Gmarket Touch campaign, they delivered a mobile psychological care vehicle for firefighters, and in 2021, they provided psychological support such as psychological treatment expenses for families of firefighters who died in the line of duty.

As the first private company to hold a firefighter idea contest called 'Here, Hero,' they developed and supported firefighting and safety equipment. The first prize-winning work, the 'lumbar protection vest,' was delivered to the Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters, and the second prize-winning work, the 'talking fire detector,' was delivered to the homes of elderly living alone in the Gyeonggi and Jeonbuk regions. The talking fire detector was delivered through the 'Fire Vulnerable Silver Generation Safety Keeper Campaign,' where retired firefighters visit the homes of elderly living alone to provide fire education. In March, they signed a business agreement with the National Fire Agency and have been leading efforts to promote the '119 Hero Award,' which rewards civilians who risk their lives at disaster sites.

Seominseok , Vice President of Communications at Gmarket and Auction, said, "This honor was possible thanks to the support of Gmarket and Auction members who responded to the value of improving firefighters' working conditions," adding, "We will continue to work with firefighters on the front lines to raise public safety awareness."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.