Mourners Visit Firefighter Who Died Fighting Bucheon Factory Fire, Leaving Behind Letter from His 7-Year-Old Daughter

Mourners continue to visit the funeral home of Firefighter Kim Jin-seok, who died while fighting a factory fire in Bucheon. Kim was deployed to the fire scene just 20 minutes before the end of his shift and never returned home. His mother-in-law, Jung Jae-shin, said, "I told my granddaughter, 'Your dad went to heaven after doing such a good deed.' Reading the letter she wrote in her own hand brings me to tears."

Despite the bad weather, the stream of visitors to the funeral home never ceased. Fellow firefighters kept vigil for a second day, and citizens who heard the news also came to pay their respects.

Politicians also paid tribute. People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk said, "We will ensure that firefighters and others who protect the lives and safety of the people can carry out their duties safely." Lee Ki-in, emergency response committee chair of the Reform Party, also pledged, "Politicians and the administration will do their utmost to prevent such tragic line-of-duty accidents."

A funeral ceremony for Firefighter Kim will be held the next morning at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government plaza, followed by burial at Seoul National Cemetery.