Seoul City Strengthens Honors for Fallen Firefighters with National Cemetery Burial

Joint Burial Ceremony Held at National Daejeon Cemetery
Additional Burials at Seoul National Cemetery Planned by Year-End
"Honors to Be Strengthened for Greater Respect"

The Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters announced on the 27th that it held a joint burial ceremony at the National Daejeon National Cemetery for six fallen firefighters.

The burial ceremony held the previous day was made possible by the revision of the Enforcement Decree of the National Cemetery Act, which expanded eligibility for burial in the national cemetery regardless of the date of death between 2023 and 2024, and broadened the qualification from "those who died in hazardous duty" to include "those who died in general line of duty."

The joint burial ceremony for fallen firefighters held on the 26th at the National Daejeon National Cemetery. Seoul City

On this day, the solemn ceremony was attended by approximately 200 people, including bereaved families, the National Fire Agency, volunteer firefighters, the Firefighters’ Veterans Association, and the Memorial Association for Fallen Firefighters. The event proceeded in the order of floral tributes, incense burning, memorial addresses, and the joint burial. Earlier, the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters, in consultation with the bereaved families, had arranged for six out of a total of 23 fallen firefighters scheduled for national cemetery burial this year to be interred at the National Daejeon National Cemetery. The remaining 17 will also be prepared for burial at the National Seoul National Cemetery by the end of the year without delay.

Kwon Hyukmin, Chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters, stated, "I pay my deepest respects to the senior firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty for public safety, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to their families." He added, "We will strengthen honors and work to spread a culture of remembrance so that the dedication of fallen firefighters is respected throughout society."

Meanwhile, in accordance with the "Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Support for Fallen and Injured Firefighters" enacted in 2023, Seoul City will continue to provide support for bereaved families, such as scholarships for children of fallen firefighters and health checkups for families. The city also plans to further strengthen its policies for honoring and commemorating fallen firefighters and their families. In memory of the six firefighters who died in the Hongje-dong residential fire in 2001, Seoul established the "Firefighter Heroes Road" in the Hongje-dong area last year, designating it as an honorary road. Annual memorial events and citizen tours are held to honor their sacrifice and to provide opportunities for the public to remember and reflect on their noble spirit.

Chief Kwon emphasized, "The sacrifice of fallen firefighters is a noble value that must be remembered and appreciated by both the nation and its citizens." He continued, "We will do our utmost to further strengthen institutional support for bereaved families and to ensure that the spirit of our firefighting heroes is passed down for generations to come."

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