The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has determined that replacing a female firefighter tasked with driving to the scene during a wildfire with a male firefighter due to it being deemed 'dangerous' is an act of gender discrimination.
On the 23rd, the NHRCK announced that it recommended the head of the fire headquarters implement measures to prevent recurrence of gender discrimination, such as gender equality education for officers, in relation to a complaint filed by a female firefighter, identified as A, who worked at the 119 safety center in Gyeonggi Province.
According to the NHRCK, when a large wildfire occurred in Hongseong, Chungnam in April of last year, A was responsible for handling a chemical fire truck. After receiving a directive to mobilize firefighting forces and attempting to drive, A was excluded by a direct superior, identified as B, on the grounds that 'it is dangerous for women to drive long distances,' as A claims. B denied making such a statement and said the replacement with a male firefighter was out of consideration for the harsh field conditions A would face.
The NHRCK noted that at the time of appointment as a firefighter, A held a commercial driver's license and had completed training. Fellow firefighters reported that A had repeatedly expressed intention to perform driving duties. Testimonies from other individuals suggested that B held negative views on women driving.
The NHRCK stated that B's claim of excluding A from the long-distance deployment as a form of consideration perceives women as 'beings that need protection,' labeling it as a gender-discriminatory mindset of not viewing men and women equally. It was also noted that another 119 safety center completed the mission to support the Hongseong wildfire under the command of a female firefighter.