"High Salary and a 'Cushy Job'?" A Firefighter's Wife Reveals Her Husband's Daily Life

Netizens Agree: "Being on Standby Is Work in Itself"

Number of Firefighters Reporting PTSD Up 64% in Five Years

Emergency Medical Technicians Experience an Average of 14.5 Traumatic Incidents per Year

A woman identifying herself as the wife of an active firefighter has publicly refuted a post on social networking services (SNS) that disparaged firefighters as so-called "cushy jobs" with high salaries compared to the number of dispatches. She argued that evaluating the unique nature of firefighters' work—such as various rescue, emergency medical, and safety duties that they carry out even during times when there are no fires, as well as their need to always be prepared for large-scale disasters that can strike at any time—solely by the number of dispatches is unfair.

The workload of firefighters is not limited to physical risks. They are repeatedly exposed to scenes involving the recovery of deceased persons, treatment of cardiac arrest patients, large-scale traffic accidents, and fire incidents, which often lead to mental aftereffects such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and insomnia. Photo by Jo Yongjun

On July 19, a post titled "I saw that a firefighter with 12 years of service has an annual salary of 75 million won" circulated on social media and SNS platforms. The author claimed that "in more than half of fire response teams, the average number of fire dispatches per day is less than one," suggesting that firefighters are paid excessively high salaries for the actual workload they take on.

As the controversy and rebuttals continued, a user who introduced herself as the wife of a firefighter, referred to as Ms. A, left a reply. Ms. A expressed her frustration, saying, "As a firefighter's wife, the only thing I can say is 'so what?' If you think it's such an easy and comfortable way to make a living, why not take the test yourself and become a firefighter?" She went on to criticize, "People who know nothing say that firefighters have it easy and do nothing, but I'd like them to try taking the firefighter exam before making such comments."

"If there's no fire, we remove beehives, catch snakes, or stray dogs"—the variety of firefighters' work

Ms. A emphasized that firefighters' work is not limited to extinguishing fires. She explained, "People say firefighters are just playing when they see them playing soccer or games during quiet shifts, but in summer, removal of beehives is non-stop. There are also calls to catch snakes or dogs, and even for situations like when doors won't open." She further added, "They also install fire alarms in the homes of elderly people living alone. Firefighters are constantly being called here and there all day long. Please don't speak carelessly without knowing anything."

Indeed, firefighters respond to a wide range of life safety calls. Even times when they are not dispatched cannot be considered complete rest. They must check equipment, train, and remain on standby for immediate dispatch instructions. In particular, since fire, rescue, and medical emergencies are unpredictable in both timing and scale, critics argue that it is unreasonable to judge the intensity and responsibility of their work based solely on the number of dispatches.

The fire department removes icicles using an articulating boom lift to ensure citizen safety during the winter season. Photo by Yonhap News

The claim that firefighters' annual salary is 75 million won also cannot be directly compared, as it varies greatly depending on individual rank, pay grade, number of shift duties, overtime hours, and other factors. According to the Ministry of Personnel Management's 2026 police and firefighter pay table, the monthly base salary for a first-year firefighter (fire private) is 2,133,000 won. For a firefighter at pay grade 12, the base monthly salary is 2,844,100 won; for a fire corporal, 3,099,500 won; and for a fire sergeant, 3,475,200 won. Actual years of service and pay grades can also differ depending on military service credit and promotion history. If the 75 million won annual salary cited in the post is accurate, it likely refers not only to the monthly base pay but also includes additional allowances for night, holiday, and overtime work, hazardous duties, rank, and performance incentives—representing gross salary before taxes.

Online commenters responded, "Does there have to be a fire every time you go to work? If so, would that be a normal country?", "It seems some people think standby duty means they're just lounging around," and "Just waiting on standby not knowing when an emergency could happen is itself a huge source of stress." Others added, "They work on holidays and through the night, risking their lives, so is 75 million won that much money?", "If you think it's so cushy, do it yourself," and "You cannot simply compare the salaries of firefighters, police officers, and soldiers, who all take on risky jobs."

Repeated exposure to traumatic scenes... 28% report sleep problems

The intensity of firefighters' work does not end with physical risks. Repeated exposure to handling deceased persons, treating patients in cardiac arrest, and working at the scenes of large-scale traffic accidents and fires leads to many cases of mental aftereffects such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and insomnia. In the "2023 Firefighter Mental Health Survey" conducted by the National Fire Agency, 23,060 out of 52,802 respondents—43.9%—were identified as being at risk of requiring management or treatment for at least one of the four main psychological disorders: PTSD, depressive symptoms, sleep disorder, or problematic drinking.

By disorder, sleep disorders were the most common at 27.2%, followed by problematic drinking at 26.4%, PTSD at 6.5%, and depressive symptoms at 6.3%. The number of firefighters classified as high-risk for suicide was 2,587, or 4.9%, and 4,465 firefighters—8.5%—said they had considered suicide at least once in the past year.

Firefighters exhausted from extinguishing the fire at the Coupang logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seohae District, Incheon on the 20th are taking a rest. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

In this year's nationwide 2025 firefighter mental health survey, among 61,517 valid respondents, 6,883 people—11.2%—reported experiencing traumatic incidents 15 or more times in the past year. On average, a firefighter experienced six traumatic events per year. By job category, emergency medical technicians, who work closest to patients and the deceased, experienced an average of 14.5 traumatic incidents—more than twice the overall average.

Among the types of trauma, performing CPR in front of family members or attending to patients who had reached full cardiac arrest accounted for 27.8%, recovery of bodies of those who died by suicide was 25.6%, and recovery of severely decomposed bodies was 20.6%. The survey also found that 6.3% of respondents showed signs of PTSD, 5.8% showed signs of depression, and 28.0% showed signs of sleep problems. However, 79.7% responded that they had never used the "emergency psychological support" offered after dispatch to major disasters or traumatic scenes.

Mental health indicators have also worsened over the past five years. According to National Fire Agency data submitted to the National Assembly, the number of firefighters complaining of PTSD rose from 2,666 in 2020 to 4,375 in 2024, an increase of 64.1%. Over the same period, the number of those at risk for depression increased by 94.2%, from 2,028 to 3,937, and those at risk of suicide grew by 36.5%, from 2,301 in 2020 to 3,141 in 2024.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.