[On Site] Funeral for the Late Firefighters Seungwon Park and Taeyoung Noh in Wando... Hall Filled with Grief

The funeral service for the late Fire Captain Seungwon Park and the late Fire Sergeant Taeyoung Noh, who tragically died in the line of duty while fighting a fire, was solemnly held on the 14th in Wando, Jeollanam-do.

The final farewell for these two heroes, who did not hesitate to risk their lives to save the lives of provincial residents amidst fierce flames, was filled with the sorrow and tearful grief of their colleagues.

The funeral ceremony for the late Fire Lieutenant Seungwon Park and Fire Sergeant Taeyoung Noh, who tragically died in the line of duty while extinguishing a fire, was held on the 14th in Wando. Photo by Joonkyung Lee

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At 9 a.m. that day, the funeral was conducted with full honors as a Jeollanam-do provincial government official funeral at the Wando Farmers and Fishermen Cultural and Sports Center. The ceremony was organized by a funeral committee chaired by the acting governor, and was attended by more than 1,000 people, including the bereaved families, local dignitaries, fellow firefighters, and volunteer firefighters, who paid tribute to the noble sacrifices of the deceased.

The two firefighters were dispatched to a fire that broke out at a seafood processing plant in Wondong-ri, Gunoe-myeon, Wando County, at around 8:25 a.m. on the 12th, but were unable to return to their families.

The funeral hall was steeped in deep grief as the biographies and eulogies were read by the respective fire station chiefs. Minseok Lee, head of the Wando Fire Station, recalled the devoted life of the late Fire Captain Seungwon Park (44) and was overcome with emotion.

At the funeral ceremony for a fallen firefighter, Minseok Lee, Chief of Wando Fire Station, cannot contain his grief as he reads the biography and eulogy for the late Fire Captain Seungwon Park. Photo by Joonkyung Lee

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Appointed in 2007, Captain Park was an 18-year veteran who served on the front lines in Haenam and Wando.

Chief Lee said, "Just a few days ago, at the Wando Port car fire, he was a true firefighter who dove into the sea with nothing but his body to rescue a resident who had fallen in. When I praised him by saying, 'Well done, Seungwon,' he replied on KakaoTalk, 'Thank you, Chief.' How could something like this happen so suddenly? I am truly sorry and regretful," he said, with tears in his eyes.

He continued, "Even at the seafood processing plant fire, your noble spirit of sacrifice, as you threw yourself in without hesitation until the very last moment, will remain an undying flame in the hearts of all our firefighting family."

The subsequent eulogy by Chooncheon Park, head of the Haenam Fire Station, also brought solemn silence to the hall. The late Fire Sergeant Taeyoung Noh (29) was appointed in 2022 and, over a short period of just over three years, had been dispatched to nearly 400 disaster sites as a young firefighter.

Chief Park said, "With his upright character, he was a reliable presence who gave great strength to his colleagues and seniors and juniors alike. He always took the lead at the scene with a sense of duty and responsibility as a firefighter, never hesitating for even a moment. The dedication and courage he showed will long be remembered in all our hearts," he said in remembrance.

On the morning of the 14th, at the Wando Farmers and Fishermen Cultural and Sports Center in Jeollanam-do, during the funeral ceremony held as a government funeral at the Jeollanam-do Provincial Government Office for the late Fire Lieutenant Park Seungwon and Fire Sergeant No Taeyoung, fellow firefighters are seen giving tearful salutes to the funeral procession leaving the venue. Photo by Lee Jung-kyung

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The funeral service proceeded solemnly for approximately 45 minutes, with moments of silent tribute, biographies, posthumous promotion by one rank and decoration, and wreath-laying and incense offering. The Jeonnam local community and administrative authorities expressed deep condolences over the loss of the two firefighters who sacrificed themselves on the front lines for the safety of the residents, and pledged to do their utmost to support the bereaved families and establish measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.

With tearful salutes from their colleagues, the funeral procession departed the hall and headed to the Daejeon Jeongsuwon Crematorium. The remains of the deceased will be laid to rest at the Daejeon National Cemetery at 4 p.m. that afternoon.

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