The Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced on the 27th that a joint burial ceremony for six deceased firefighters was held on the 26th at the National Daejeon Memorial Park (Firefighters' Cemetery).
The ceremony included the laying of flowers, incense burning, memorial speeches, and the joint burial in that order. More than 200 attendees included the bereaved families of the fallen firefighters, the Korea Fire Agency, volunteer firefighters, the Firefighters' Association of Retired Members, and the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Committee.
This burial ceremony was conducted in accordance with the amendment of the National Cemetery Act enforcement ordinance from 2023 and last year. According to the ordinance amendment, burial in national cemeteries will be possible regardless of the time of death, and the burial eligibility has been expanded from "hazardous duty deceased" to "general deceased."
Accordingly, the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters plans to inter a total of 23 fallen firefighters in national cemeteries this year. The six individuals, who were agreed upon with the bereaved families, were buried at the National Daejeon Memorial Park first. The remaining individuals are also expected to be buried at the National Seoul Memorial Park by the end of the year.
Kwon Hyuk-min, the head of the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated in a memorial speech, "I express my deep respect for the predecessors who sacrificed themselves in fulfilling their duties for the safety of the people, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families." He also noted, "We will strengthen the respect for the dedication of fallen firefighters and work to spread a culture of remembrance throughout society."