Bereaved Families of Fallen Pyeongtaek Firefighters Donate 150 Million Won in Scholarships

[Asia Economy (Pyeongtaek) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The families of three firefighters who died in the line of duty while extinguishing a fire at a logistics warehouse construction site in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province last January have decided to donate 150 million KRW to the local community as a scholarship fund.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced that on the 18th, the families of the late Fire Captain Lee Hyung-seok, Fire Sergeant Park Soo-dong, and Fire Corporal Jo Woo-chan agreed to promote a scholarship project for low-income youth in the Pyeongtaek area and held a signing ceremony with the Pyeongtaek Happiness Sharing Foundation.

The bereaved families reportedly united in their intention to carry on the noble spirit and honorable will of the fallen firefighters by fostering future local talents through the scholarship project.

According to the agreement, the families will each donate 50 million KRW, totaling 150 million KRW, as scholarship funds. Through the Pyeongtaek Happiness Sharing Foundation, 50 scholarship recipients will be selected annually and supported with 1 million KRW each for three years.

Lee Yuri, daughter of the late Fire Captain Lee Hyung-seok, said, "I hope that the spirit of the fallen firefighters and their families will continue and that this scholarship will help the youth who receive it."

Hwang Seong-sik, head of the Pyeongtaek Happiness Sharing Foundation, responded, "We will select scholarship recipients fairly and transparently and deliver the scholarships, while also conveying the precious meaning contained in the scholarship fund."

Choi Byung-il, head of the Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters, said, "I express my deep gratitude, which words cannot fully convey, to the bereaved families who made this difficult decision. By supporting scholarships for youth, we honor and respect the deceased and their families, and we hope this will be an opportunity for everyone to remember our heroes for a long time."

The three firefighters, including Fire Captain Lee Hyung-seok, were involved in an accident while finishing fire suppression at a new construction site in Pyeongtaek on January 6. Their remains were interred at the National Daejeon National Cemetery. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Gyeonggi Province posthumously promoted them one rank and awarded them the Order of Okjo Geunjeong Medal.