Three People Including Seo Bomin Recognized as Medical Martyrs for Helping Residents Evacuate During Typhoon Hinnamnor

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 6th that it has recognized three individuals, including the late Seo Bo-min, who died while helping residents evacuate during Typhoon Hinnamnor last year, as persons of distinguished service. The Ministry held the 5th Review Committee for Persons of Distinguished Service in 2023 on the 3rd to approve these recognitions. A person of distinguished service refers to someone who dies or is injured while saving the life or body of another person in danger outside of their official duties.

Water flooding the underground parking lot of an apartment in Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk due to Typhoon Hinnamnor [Image source=Yonhap News]

Seo Bo-min, who was 21 years old, lost his life on the early morning of September 6 last year while helping residents evacuate when water flooded the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk, due to Typhoon Hinnamnor.

The late Han Ji-eun (24 years old at the time of the accident), also recognized as a person of distinguished service, helped a fellow employee escape when a fire broke out following a 32-vehicle pileup near a tunnel in Namwon-si, Jeonbuk, around lunchtime on February 17, 2020. However, she herself was unable to escape the tunnel in time and died from smoke inhalation.

The late Lee Heon-ho (29 years old at the time of the accident) lost his life while trying to save a colleague who had fallen into water. On May 25, 2021, at around 1:15 p.m., Lee was conducting a detailed safety inspection of agricultural facilities with colleagues at a reservoir in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, when he tried to rescue a colleague who had fallen into the reservoir’s water purification basin but also drowned.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to provide the families of these individuals with compensation, medical benefits, educational protection, and other support as stipulated by law for persons of distinguished service.

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