Seoul: The veterans ministry will lower the national flags to half-staff at its offices and national cemeteries across the country on Tuesday. This act is to honor two firefighters who lost their lives in a warehouse fire earlier this week, officials have confirmed.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the firefighters, aged 44 and 30, died on Sunday during a rescue operation inside a cold storage warehouse located in Wando, approximately 360 kilometers south of Seoul. Their bravery and sacrifice have prompted nationwide mourning, with the veterans ministry taking steps to commemorate their service.
Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul stated, "We decided to fly (the national) flags at half-staff in public remembrance and respect for the two firefighters who died in the line of duty." He also promised prompt support measures in collaboration with firefighting and state personnel management authorities to aid the families of the deceased.
The firefighters will be interred at Daejeon National Cemetery in the central city of the same name, with the burial ceremony scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Their sacrifice is being recognized as a significant loss to the community and the nation.