Gov't to take responsibility for firefighters' safety: PM

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Monday the government will take responsibility for the safety of firefighters as she marked National Firefighters' Day.

Han made the remark in a message on X, saying providing firefighters with sufficient personnel, equipment and a safe working environment is a state responsibility and should not be left solely to their personal devotion.

"The government will work to improve working conditions while beefing up the personnel and equipment needed in the field by expanding the firefighting budget," she said. "We will work with related ministries to pursue institutional reforms aimed at establishing a stable financial foundation."

The firefighting budget was a hot issue in recent weeks after Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae described firefighters as a "fiscal drain" last month. The remark triggered a massive public backlash, especially in the wake of the death of a firefighter who was responding to a factory fire in Bucheon, west of Seoul.

Choo has since repeatedly apologized for the remark.