Seoul Sets 1.1022 Trillion Won Firefighting Budget... to Replace Aging Vehicles, Ease EMS Crews' Workload

Up 25.8 billion won (2.4%) from the previous year
Local revenue increased by 42.9 billion won to offset lower national tax revenue

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has drawn up a 1.1 trillion won special account budget proposal for firefighting to create a safe working environment for firefighters and strengthen its ability to respond to disaster sites.

A fire truck road-clearing drill is underway on Gwanghwamun-daero in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 20th, during the 2025 Eulji Exercise and Civil Defense Drill. Jongno Fire Station conducted the drill along a route from the station through Gwanghwamun, the Sejong-daero intersection and Jongno 2-ga, before returning to the station. Aug. 20, 2025. Photo by Cho Yongjun

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Nov. 5 that it had drawn up and submitted to the city council its 2027 special account budget proposal for firefighting, totaling 1.1022 trillion won, up 25.8 billion won (2.4%) from the previous year. Policy program spending under the account amounts to 210.1 billion won, an increase of 8.3 billion won (4.1%) from the previous year.

Although fiscal pressure has grown, including a 17.1 billion won reduction in national government funding, the city increased the total budget by securing an additional 42.9 billion won in local revenue, including transfers from the general account and the local resource and facility tax.

The budget proposal focuses on improving firefighters' working conditions and strengthening disaster response infrastructure.

To improve working conditions for field personnel, the city allocated 5.6 billion won for meals for firefighters on standby for emergency dispatches, an increase of about 14% from the previous year. It will also provide psychological and health support, including special health examinations for retired firefighters and 370 million won for operating the 119 Mind Recovery Center.

The city allocated 3.55 billion won to the "Enhancement of Emergency Medical Services Specialization" program, an increase of about 43% from the previous year, to ease the workload of emergency medical technicians and improve the quality of emergency medical services.

The city will add personnel to emergency medical teams facing heavy workloads and responding to more than 4,000 calls a year, and put additional ambulances into service by reallocating staff. It will also strengthen the three-person ambulance dispatch system to increase the rate of specialized emergency treatment for critically ill patients.

The city is also moving ahead with modernizing aging equipment. It allocated 16.5 billion won to replace and upgrade aging fire vehicles, an increase of about 90% from the previous year, and will significantly replace fire engines and water tankers. It will also invest 6.3 billion won in expanding its fleet of specialized ambulances and negative-pressure ambulances.

In addition, the city will invest 1.62 billion won in fire safety measures to reduce fires, including installing automatic fire-extinguishing devices, and plans to continue drawing on available funds, including the Disaster Management Fund, to upgrade personal protective equipment.

Projects to expand firefighting infrastructure are also getting underway in earnest. The city allocated 8.3 billion won to build a joint fire services complex housing the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Management Center, and the Jongno Fire Station. Construction is scheduled to begin in May next year, with completion targeted for October 2031.

The city has newly allocated 980 million won to operate a live-fire training facility where firefighters can conduct suppression drills in realistic fire conditions, in time for its completion in May next year. It will invest 6 billion won in relocating and rebuilding the aging Geoyeo 119 Safety Center.

Hong Young-geun, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, "Despite the challenging fiscal conditions, the budget includes funding for essential firefighting projects to protect citizens and firefighters in the field. We will carefully review the equipment and projects needed on site and actively use available resources, including the Disaster Management Fund, to continuously strengthen our response capabilities."

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