By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
A growing number of emergency workers are being exposed to physical abuse, violent acts and sexual harassment during their rescue operations.
About 250 male and female emergency workers have encountered such incidents while on duty over the past four years, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported.
The data show that the number of reported cases of violence of shot up to 71 last year, up from 38 cases in 2006.
The first half of this year saw 43 attacks on personnel.
For example, Kim, a veteran emergency worker, recalled that he was the victim of physical abuse while on duty in 2002 by a suspect who also allegedly battered his girlfriend.
The rescue worker went to the couple's residence in Gyeonggi Province with another staff member after receiving a call.
Upon arriving at the scene, he found the severely beaten woman, who was in an extramarital relationship with the male suspect, lying on the floor of the living room. Kim was told that the couple had engaged in an intense altercation over money that the man had borrowed from the woman.
The suspect claimed the violence was mutual, but he appeared to be unhurt. The man started hitting Kim after the NEMA staff member wasn't convinced by the explanation.
Kim told The Korea Times that he has experienced two such violent attacks since joining NEMA in 1995 as an emergency response worker.
Rep. You Jung-hyun of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) urged the government to adopt harsher punishment for people attacking emergency workers on duty.
``Physical abuse cases will be reduced when local 119 stations dispatch more emergency workers,'' the lawmaker said.
Under the current law, local 119 stations are required to dispatch two or more workers to each scene. But only Seoul City meets this requirement. Other local governments are unable to do so due to budgetary constraints.
``I believe dispatching more workers will help reduce violence. Emergency workers will be exposed to less dangerous situations at work if more manpower is made available ,'' said Kim.
But the emergency staff member was skeptical of a sudden hike in the number of workers as it involves the allocation of more money.