Joseonho, Head of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters (right), is taking a photo after handing over a certified copy of the late Kim Nam-il, Air Defense Corps member's resignation letter to Kim Young-il (center), the eldest son of the deceased, on the 30th.
The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters has located the descendants of the late Kim Nam-il, an air defense corps member who submitted the resignation letter found in the oldest volunteer fire brigade duty log.
On the 31st, the Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced that on the 30th, they presented a facsimile of the late Kim Il-nam’s resignation letter to his eldest son, Kim Young-il (83), at the headquarters’ third-floor conference room in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon.
Kim Il-nam, born in 1911 in Seongjin-si, Hamgyeongbuk-do, moved south after liberation and served as a member of the air defense corps (now the volunteer fire brigade) in Namyang-myeon, Hwaseong-gun, Gyeonggi-do until his death in 1962 at the age of 52.
Earlier, the Fire and Disaster Headquarters discovered a volunteer fire brigade duty log written from May to October 1953, 70 years ago, in January, and within the log, they additionally found a resignation letter submitted by Kim Il-nam.
The Fire and Disaster Headquarters judged the air defense corps member’s resignation letter to be a valuable historical document proving the history of Korea’s volunteer fire brigades and began searching for the letter’s owner.
Kim Young-il, the late member’s eldest son, expressed gratitude after receiving the facsimile, saying, "My father passed away when I was 22 and serving in the military. He taught me to respect the air defense corps leader, and he was a diligent person who valued his neighbors more than anyone else." He added, "I sincerely thank the Gyeonggi Fire officials for helping me recall precious memories of my late father."
Jo Seon-ho, head of the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, "We will never forget the noble spirit of the late member who led efforts to care for the well-being of neighbors, and we plan to donate the original resignation letter to the soon-to-be-opened National Fire Museum." He added, "Through the continuous discovery of firefighting artifacts, which are the spiritual assets of firefighters, we aim to enhance the pride of Gyeonggi Fire."
On the same day, the Fire and Disaster Headquarters also held an awards ceremony for the best volunteer firefighters who contributed to installing fire safety equipment in vulnerable households. Ten members, including Shin Young-sook of the Bucheon Women’s Volunteer Fire Brigade, were honored with awards.
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