"Hope you return soon..." Firefighter missing for a week after suffering from depression post-Itaewon disaster

[Financial News] A firefighter who was suffering from depression after the Itaewon disaster has been missing for over a week, and the police and fire authorities are searching for his whereabouts.
According to the fire headquarters on the 17th, A (34), affiliated with a certain fire station, left a note apologizing to his family and friends before losing contact since the 10th.
Based on the current search results, A was last seen leaving the Nam Incheon Tollgate on the morning of the 10th around 2:30 AM, parked his car on the right shoulder, and disappeared. The last signal from his mobile phone was detected near an apartment in Seochang-dong, Namdong-gu.
A was known to have been diagnosed with depression and received treatment after being dispatched to the scene of the Itaewon disaster in 2022.
In a media interview at the time, A said, "It was overwhelming to place the deceased in the black zone," and "My parents were struggling just because I went to the scene, so I wondered how the parents of the victims felt. I thought, 'I wish this wasn't real.'"
The police and fire authorities have been searching for A since receiving the missing report, but have not achieved any significant results. A's family is distributing flyers both online and offline, desperately searching for his whereabouts.


jjw@fnnews.com Jeong Ji-woo Reporter