Funeral set for Bucheon firefighter as family questions rescue response

Gyeonggi Province will hold a provincial funeral on October 19 for Kim Jin-seok (김진석), the 44-year-old firefighter who died after tackling a factory fire in Bucheon. The province said the arrangements reflected his family’s wishes. His relatives have questioned the deployment of firefighters inside the building and the time taken to rescue him. [ 1 , 2 , 9 ]

Kim was among the first crews sent to the factory in Ojeong district after the fire broke out at about 08:38 on October 16. He became trapped as flames spread during firefighting operations and was rescued in cardiac arrest. He died in hospital at about 00:55 on October 17. Another firefighter suffered serious injuries; four more firefighters and two factory personnel also required treatment. [ 2 , 7 , 12 ]

Relatives said Kim had been approaching the end of a 24-hour shift and was due to finish at 09:00. They questioned why crews entered when factory workers had already evacuated. His family said it took about 27 minutes to find him and sought improvements to safety procedures. Newsis quoted a fire official as saying the fire spread rapidly during operations, delaying the escape of two crew members farther inside. [ 9 , 16 ]

A mourning room has been set up at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital. Later reports from Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo put the October 19 ceremony at 09:30 at Bucheon Gymnasium; earlier reports gave 10:00. The National Fire Agency said it had granted a posthumous one-rank promotion and was pursuing a service medal and support for burial at a national cemetery. [ 7 , 10 , 12 , 15 ]

Kim joined the fire service in July 2014 and had worked at the Ojeong 119 Safety Center since July 2024. He leaves a wife and a daughter due to begin elementary school next year. Police and fire authorities are investigating the fire’s cause and how firefighters became trapped during the response. [ 1 , 8 , 12 ]