The First Female Fire Commissioner Since Government Establishment... 20th Lee Osuk, Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters Chief

Promotion to Fire Commissioner, One of Only 16 Nationwide in 76 Years

From Buyeo, Chungnam... Extensive Experience as Fire Station Chief and Spokesperson

The first female fire commissioner since the establishment of the government has been appointed.

On the 24th, Jeonbuk Province (Governor Kim Kwan-young) announced that Fire Commissioner Lee O-sook, who was promoted to the high-ranking fire officer position of fire commissioner for the first time as a woman, will take office as the 20th Fire Headquarters Chief of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province as of the 27th.

The rank of fire commissioner corresponds to director general (level 2) for general public officials and to police commissioner for police officers. The fire commissioner quota consists of 6 at the National Fire Agency and 10 fire headquarters chiefs at city and provincial levels, totaling 16. This is the first time in 76 years since the government was established in 1948 that a female fire officer has risen to a high-ranking position of fire commissioner or above.

Eo-suk Lee, 20th Fire Headquarters Chief of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province.
[Photo by Jeonbuk Fire Department]

Born in Buyeo, Chungnam, Chief Lee O-sook joined Daejeon Fire Department in 1988 as a firefighter through open recruitment while she was a senior majoring in Public Administration at Hannam University. Since 2009, she has worked at the National Emergency Management Agency, and has held key positions including Head of Ambulance Quality Division at the National Fire Agency, Chief of Daegu Northern Fire Station, Head of COVID-19 Emergency Response Division at the National Fire Agency, Principal of Gangwon Fire Academy, and Spokesperson of the National Fire Agency.

From 2002 for about three years, Fire Commissioner Lee served as the head of Gung-dong 119 Safety Center at Daejeon Northern Fire Station, becoming the first female center chief in the Daejeon and Chungnam regions. In 2018, she was appointed Chief of Daegu Northern Fire Station, becoming the first female fire station chief in the Yeongnam region and the youngest female fire station chief on record.

She led the National Fire Agency’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Division for over three years immediately after the outbreak of COVID-19, prioritizing public safety and the protection of paramedics. Last year, she was appointed as the first female spokesperson of the National Fire Agency.

Chief Lee said, "It is an honor and a joy to start anew in Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province amid changes occurring for the first time in 128 years. As the first female fire commissioner appointed, I will do my best with a heavy sense of responsibility to protect the safety of residents and fire colleagues and to realize a reliable 119 service ready by the people."