Nam Hwa-yeong, Acting Commissioner General of the National Fire Agency

It was a tragedy that should not have happened. Too many young lives were lost in the Itaewon disaster last month. With our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, the National Fire Agency commemorates the sixtieth National Fire Service Day with a very heavy heart. As the first line of support for citizens in danger, the weight of responsibility on our shoulders feels heavier than ever as we take another look at the nation’s safety.

In recent years, the rapidly growing popularity of K-culture all around the world has seen a significant increase in the number of foreign residents in Korea. According to the Ministry of Justice, there are over two million foreign nationals in Korea as of this August. Meanwhile, over seven million Korean nationals now live abroad. The fire service’s scope of responsibility must accordingly expand to provide a more comprehensive safety framework for all of them.

From infectious diseases to climate crisis, the world faces a growing diversity of disasters that are also becoming more frequent and larger in scale. Unfortunately, Korea is no exception to this global trend, which is why our fire service is also broadening its capacity beyond the original mission of responding to and preventing fires. Now we serve as a lead agency for all land disasters, offering rescue, emergency medical services, and routine safety support in every corner of our society.

The fire service’s comprehensive policy framework for safety excludes no one: our goal is to ensure that this strong social safety net is accessible to all without discrimination. And to that end, the National Fire Agency is reviewing its growth thus far and preparing for the next steps upon this sixtieth National Fire Service Day.

The Republic of Korea has been an active member of the UN International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (UN SNARAG) since 1999. The international humanitarian organization supports research and rescue activities in nations hit by disasters. This year, we hosted the 2002 UN INSARAG Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting in Seoul as the Chair Country. We will also expand the international support activities of the Korea Disaster Relief Team to strengthen our international cooperation.

Moreover, the Korean fire service is expanding emergency medical service for citizens abroad. This service allows Korean citizens abroad such as travelers, students, and deep-sea sailors, should they fall ill or injured, to simply dial 119 or use the National Fire Agency’s website and SNS to access information and support on first aid, local medical services, and procedures for transport back to Korea. Last year, 2,586 Koreans abroad made use of this service.

The International Fire & Safety Expo Korea, hosted this year for the eighteenth time, is now one of major international exhibitions in the industry, acquiring a Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) accreditation in 2015. It will continue to serve as a platform for fostering the Korean fire and safety industry and its global expansion.

Over the years, Korea’s fire service leveraged cutting-edge technologies like AI, IoT, robotics and big data to enable a much more scientific and systematic approach to disaster response.

The recent disaster in Itaewon will forever be a solemn reminder of our mission. Korea’s fire service must plan its future strategy to make sure that such tragedy will never happen again. Today we mark a new beginning for the safety of this nation.