The funeral ceremony for the late Kim Dong-sik, who died while fighting the fire at the Coupang Logistics Center in Icheon, was held in the morning of the 21st at the Gwangju Citizens' Gymnasium in Gyeonggi Province as the head of the Gyeonggi Province.
The funeral, which started at 9:30 am, was attended by about 90 people, including the bereaved family, Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung, lawmakers, city and provincial legislators, and fellow firefighters.
Governor Lee paid tribute to the deceased by saying, "We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident so that this does not happen again, and we will do our best in Gyeonggi-do so that precious lives are not sacrificed."
Ham Jae-cheol of the Gyeonggi Gwangju Fire Department, who took part in the investigation on behalf of a colleague, said, "I and each Gwangju rescue worker are resentful about the day and the scene. I'm sorry," he cried.
He continued, “I pray that all of you may put down your heavy burdens in a good place and sleep peacefully in a new world with only good memories and beautiful hearts.”
Firefighter Kim was found dead on the morning of the 19th, 48 hours after he disappeared after being sent in to extinguish the fire at the Coupang Logistics Center in Icheon on the 17th and search for lives.
On the 18th, Gyeonggi Province conferred the first-class special promotion from the fire police to the fire department and the Medal of Merit for Green Birds to the deceased.
His remains are buried in the National Daejeon Cemetery.
(Composition: Hwi-Ran Kim, Video coverage: Myung-Koo Kim, Edit: Seung-Yeon Park)