Lee vows to hire more firefighters, expand investment to ensure public safety

President Lee Jae Myung pledged on Monday to hire additional firefighters and boost investment to enhance their skills and capabilities, aiming to ensure public safety in the face of various disaster threats. He delivered this statement at a ceremony commemorating the 64th Day of Firefighting in the central city of Sejong, an event marked by the presence of government officials, firefighters, victims who perished in the line of duty, and their grieving families.

The president highlighted the escalating climate crisis, which is amplifying the complexity and magnitude of disasters, making them more challenging for firefighters to manage. Lee emphasized that proactively preparing for and responding to potential changes would be crucial in safeguarding lives and maintaining public safety.

In this regard, Lee announced his intention to increase the number of firefighters, improve their command structure, and expand investments to facilitate faster and more organized disaster response. The government plans to leverage advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and drones to identify risk factors and carry out perilous rescue missions, while also deploying state-of-the-art defense mechanisms.