Startled by Sudden "Sir" Address... President Lee: "There Are No 'Sirs' in the Republic of Korea, Haha"

President Lee Visits Gangwon Province on the 6th
Observes Military Ground Wildfire Response Drill

"Sir, let me brief you."

"There are no 'Sirs' in the Republic of Korea. Haha."

On the 6th, President Lee Jae-myung visited Wonju, Gangwon Province to inspect areas at risk of wildfires and review the wildfire response equipment and systems of both government and military personnel. When a military pilot addressed him as "Sir," President Lee laughed and replied, "There are no 'Sirs' in the Republic of Korea."

President Lee Jae-myung is encouraging the personnel before observing the joint firefighting training between government officials and the military at the Forest Aviation Headquarters in Wonju, Gangwon Province on the 6th. Photo by Yonhap News

On the same day, President Lee visited the Forest Aviation Headquarters of the Korea Forest Service in Wonju, where he examined key wildfire response equipment, including helicopters, drones, and vehicles operated by the Korea Forest Service and the military. He then observed a joint ground wildfire response drill conducted by the Ministry of National Defense and the Korea Forest Service. The drill included aerial firefighting using helicopter rappelling, precision firefighting with drones, and helicopter water drops.

President Lee carefully inquired about the water capacity of high-performance wildfire response vehicles and the current status of military wildfire response helicopters. During the inspection, when a wildfire response team member asked President Lee, who had canceled his scheduled activities the previous day due to a cold, "Are you feeling better?" he smiled and replied, "Colds aren't contagious." When a military pilot began his explanation with "Sir, let me brief you," President Lee smiled again and said, "There are no 'Sirs' in the Republic of Korea."

President Lee emphasized the importance of a thorough initial response, stating, "When a fire breaks out, the military and the National Fire Agency must come and put it out immediately. Don't worry about being criticized for overreacting or being held responsible-just pour as much water as you can, whether it's a bucketful or a whole pot." He further instructed, "Make sure the primary responsibility at the scene is clear so that a rapid response can be made at the initial stage of a wildfire. Don't hesitate to deploy all available resources at the outset to extinguish the fire at its source. Let's clarify who is responsible."

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