"Firefighters' Day": President Lee Proposes Joint Research with ADD on "Unmanned Firefighting Equipment"

Inspected Specialized Equipment on Firefighters' Day... Called for R&D Collaboration
Lunched with Seven Firefighters... Heard About PTSD and Suicides
Met with Families of Fallen Firefighters and Offered Condolences

President Lee Jaemyung met with firefighters over lunch on the 9th and said joint research with the Agency for Defense Development was needed to develop unmanned firefighting equipment that would help ensure firefighters' safety at disaster sites. Mental health issues among firefighters, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, were also a major topic of discussion.

President Lee Jaemyung shares an appreciation luncheon with firefighters after attending a ceremony marking the 64th anniversary of Firefighting Day in Sejong Special Self-Governing City on Nov. 9, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Kang Yujeong, senior presidential spokesperson, said in a written briefing that after the ceremony marking the 64th anniversary of Firefighters' Day in Sejong, President Lee inspected specialized firefighting equipment and held a luncheon meeting with seven firefighters. As he viewed an unmanned demolition and water-spraying vehicle, a high-performance chemical fire engine, and a specialized forest-fire suppression vehicle displayed outside the ceremony venue, he was told that 44 unmanned demolition and water-spraying vehicles had been deployed nationwide, along with 8 high-performance chemical fire engines for responding to oil fires and other incidents and 60 specialized forest-fire suppression vehicles.

President Lee showed particular interest in a tracked smoke-ventilation robot introduced after an electric vehicle fire in an underground parking garage. After learning about the robot's functions and potential uses, he asked about next year's budget for developing unmanned firefighting equipment and said joint research and development (R&D) in coordination with the Agency for Defense Development was needed. He emphasized the need to apply research capabilities from the defense sector to firefighting equipment development and advance disaster-response technology.

At a restaurant in Sejong, President Lee went on to discuss at length firefighters' working conditions, organizational management, and the difficulties they face in the field. He asked why firefighters were reluctant to work at the National Fire Agency's headquarters. Attendees replied that they tended to prefer responding to disasters in the field over administrative work. President Lee also showed interest in the automatic promotion system, rank structure, and duties in areas such as rescue, firefighting, emergency medical services, and prevention.

During the discussion, firefighters' mental health was raised as an issue. Fire Commissioner Choi Yongcheol said firefighters were suffering from PTSD and depression, and that 15 firefighters had died by suicide last year and 7 had done so this year. He also said the suicide rate among firefighters was relatively high compared with other uniformed public servants. Kang said President Lee listened attentively to the explanation.

Those attending the luncheon included Fire Lieutenant Kim Manjong, who had served as a firefighter for 36 years and was due to retire this year, and Fire Sergeant Park Jeongmin, who saved the life of a 50-day-old infant after receiving a report of cardiac arrest and guiding CPR over a video call. Firefighters who had taken part in rescue operations at overseas disaster sites, including floods in Nepal, also attended.

President Lee Jaemyung views firefighting equipment on display at the venue after the ceremony marking the 64th Firefighters' Day in Sejong Special Self-Governing City on Nov. 9, 2026. Yonhap News.

Earlier, after the ceremony, President Lee greeted the families of firefighters who had died in the line of duty. He was reunited there with Jo Saetbyeol, the spouse of firefighter Shim Mungyu, who died in 2018 while taking part in a rescue operation at a submerged weir on the Han River in Gimpo, when Lee was governor of Gyeonggi Province.

Jo recounted that President Lee had read a eulogy at the funeral and tried to help her find a job, but she had been unable to accept because she was raising her twin children. She then expressed her gratitude that he had remembered the bereaved families and continued to care about them even after so much time had passed.

President Lee also granted selfie requests from trainees at the Gyeongbuk Fire Service Academy and young firefighters he met at the ceremony. Near the end of the luncheon, when he asked if anyone had a request, one firefighter replied, "I'd like to take a selfie," prompting laughter. President Lee then took a commemorative photo with the attendees before wrapping up his schedule, Kang said.

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