President Lee: "We Must Make It Impossible for Drinking Pressure at Work Dinners" ... Office for Government Policy Coordination to Investigate Firefighter Death

[Financial News] On the 11th, President Lee Jae-myung ordered an investigation by the Office for Government Policy Coordination into the death of a female firefighter in her 20s who had been due to marry. The move is intended to ensure objectivity by having the office, rather than the National Fire Agency, examine allegations of forced drinking at work dinners and the dismissal of requests for an internal audit.
President Lee shared related reports on X (formerly Twitter) that day and said, "It is truly appalling that such outdated public officials still exist."
He instructed, "Conduct a thorough investigation into the cause and circumstances of the firefighter's death, including the forced drinking at work dinners, as well as the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of the request for an internal audit." He added, "To ensure objectivity, the investigation should be handled by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, not the National Fire Agency."
He continued, "If the investigation finds that forced drinking and the dismissal of the audit request were true, I will impose the maximum level of accountability, including disciplinary action, criminal punishment, and, after civil damages are paid, reimbursement claims."
He also emphasized, "I will make sure that workplace abuse, such as forcing drinking at work dinners, and the concealment or suppression of corruption can never again be tolerated in this country," adding, "I have instructed the Cabinet to take action."
According to the report President Lee shared, the bereaved family raised suspicions of an excessive drinking culture in the workplace and delays in an internal audit in connection with the death of a female firefighter in her 20s from the Gwangju Fire and Disaster Headquarters last October.
Based on KakaoTalk messages suggesting that A, the firefighter's fiancé, and the family said she had vomited several times after a work dinner and had been prevented from going home even while intoxicated, they requested an internal audit from the Gwangju Fire and Disaster Headquarters. However, the headquarters reportedly did not begin the audit for more than five months, and the audit only started last month after the family and the firefighters' union approached the National Fire Agency, the higher authority.
The Gwangju Fire and Disaster Headquarters said at the time that there had been a request for an internal review, but that it had judged it was not an official complaint.
President Lee said, "I offer my deepest condolences for the deceased, and I also extend my heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family and relatives."

west@fnnews.com Sung Seok-woo Reporter