“If a firefighter dies in the line of duty, it’s like winning the lottery”... A serving firefighter shares a bitter reality

[Financial News] After the funeral of the late Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty in a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, a serving firefighter laid bare the reality faced by firefighters, recounting a remark that likened dying in the line of duty to “winning the lottery.” He wrote about what it feels like to enter a dangerous fire scene while thinking of the condolence money that would be left for his family.
A post written by a serving firefighter after Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok died in the line of duty has recently spread on social media and online.
The firefighter who wrote the post raised the issue of condolence money given to the families of firefighters who die in the line of duty, saying someone had remarked, “If a firefighter dies in the line of duty, the family wins the lottery. If 60,000 fire service personnel pool their condolence money, it comes to 1 billion won.”
The firefighter said that when someone dies in the line of duty, colleagues across the country collect condolence money to help the bereaved family. He said, “If you die while working as a firefighter, fire service personnel across the country each contribute what they can and send the money to your family. It’s a large sum that a public servant couldn’t save even over a lifetime of work,” adding, “It’s enough to buy an apartment in a provincial area, with what’s left enough to put the children through university.”
He also described how firefighters think of their families when they enter dangerous fire scenes. He said, “That’s why we joke among ourselves that even if we die, we have to die putting out a fire. But that joke isn’t really a joke; it’s a mantra. Even if it’s hot, I have to go in; even if I die, I have to die putting out the fire; because if I die putting out a fire, my family won’t have to worry. It’s a mantra that gives us courage.”
At the end of the post, he again used the expression comparing dying in the line of duty to winning the lottery. He wrote, “As you said, we’re lottery tickets with a 100 percent chance of winning when scratched. Thanks to that, I can summon courage I didn’t have and rush into the scene,” adding, “Even if I die, I have to die putting out a fire. I recite the mantra.”
People who read the post expressed sadness, saying a firefighter’s life cannot be compared with financial compensation. Comments included, “I wouldn’t accept a fortune in exchange for a family member’s life,” and, “I hope no firefighter is ever lost to the flames.”
There was also criticism that likening dying in the line of duty to winning the lottery was inappropriate. Some commenters responded, “A lottery? If my husband died, I wouldn’t accept even 1 billion won,” and, “Someone has died, and you’re calling it a lottery?”
Some also said that equipment and working conditions should be improved to keep firefighters safe. They said, “I hope better equipment and technology become more widely available and continue to advance,” and, “The system that puts a price on a life in monetary terms is itself the problem.”
Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok died in the line of duty on the 16th while carrying out firefighting operations at the scene of a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. He had only about 20 minutes left before finishing a 24-hour shift and going home, but was dispatched after a fire was reported.
The funeral was held on the 19th at Bucheon Gymnasium in Gyeonggi Province.
Remarks by Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae about the fire service budget also came under renewed criticism after Fire Lieutenant Kim died in the line of duty. Choo sparked controversy when she said on the 13th, “The fire service seems like the biggest headache and a drain on the budget.”
As criticism mounted, Choo said at a National Assembly audit conducted by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee on the 19th, “I sincerely apologize to the firefighters who were hurt by my remarks.” On the 20th, she met in person with representatives of the fire service workers’ union and apologized.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter