A woman caused controversy by posting a video of herself taking a shot in front of a firefighting helicopter drawing water from a golf course pond to fight a forest fire on social media. As the controversy grew, she ultimately posted an apology.
On the 25th, woman A explained the situation at that time by posting on her Instagram, saying, "I learned that the firefighting helicopter was using the hazard water on the golf course because there is no reservoir nearby. Although the golf course did not issue a notice to stop the game, we would pause the game whenever the helicopter approached and then continue playing again."
A said, "I felt very grateful for the hard work of the firefighters, and I did not engage in any wrong behavior such as hitting a golf ball toward the helicopter. I sincerely apologize if you perceived it that way."
She added, "I have always respected and been grateful to the firefighters and many other professions who save precious lives and work hard. I did not aim the golf video at the firefighting helicopter; I had a brief thought of posting the video from the golf course since I often take photos and videos."
A stated, "If my short video made anyone uncomfortable, I am truly sorry. I will be more careful with my words and actions in the future. I express my deep apologies."
However, at the end of her apology, A drew criticism again by adding the hashtag "#firefightinghelicopterwomanappears." Currently, A's social media account has been deleted.
Previously, A attached the video of herself playing golf that she posted on her social media on the 23rd. In the video, A hit a golf ball in the presence of a firefighting helicopter hovering over a golf course pond. A also filmed her face in a video with the helicopter in the background.
A wrote in the subtitles of the video, "Is there a helicopter at the golf course?" and added, "I was distracted by the sound of the helicopter from the 6th hole to the 18th hole. Fortunately, the forest fire was extinguished, which was a relief." She continued, "It’s surprising that hazard water is used like this in an emergency situation. It was a golf course scene that my companions had never experienced before. I think general golfers may not have this experience, so I'm sharing it."
Netizens reacted to A's post with strong criticism, saying, "It’s reckless" and "What did you expect would happen if you got hit by the helicopter?"
Meanwhile, the forest fire that began in Uiseong County on the 22nd has spread sequentially to four cities in the northeastern part of Gyeongbuk, causing significant damage. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, as of 9 a.m. that day, there have been a total of 18 casualties, including 14 from Gyeongbuk and 4 from Gyeongnam.