Start time moved from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday; province seeks national merit designation for fallen firefighter
![Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae speaks to reporters after paying her respects at the funeral home for the late Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital on Saturday. [Gyeonggi Province]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/10/18/rcv.YNA.20261017.PYH2026101705430001300_P1.jpg)
Gyeonggi Province announced Sunday that a National Assembly Land and Transportation Committee national audit scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday has been pushed back to 1 p.m. the same day.
The delay is to allow Governor Choo Mi-ae to attend the funeral ceremony for Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty in a Bucheon factory fire. The ceremony is set for 9:30 a.m. Monday at Bucheon City Gymnasium. The national audit will still be held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building as originally planned.
On Saturday, Gyeonggi Province formed a funeral committee of about 20 members, chaired by Choo, to honor Kim's sacrifice and give him a proper farewell. The funeral is being conducted as an official provincial ceremony.
At the funeral, Kim is to receive a posthumous one-rank special promotion — from fire sergeant to fire lieutenant — along with a posthumous Order of Service Merit. He will be interred at Seoul National Cemetery.
Gyeonggi Province is pursuing administrative procedures to have Kim designated as a national merit recipient.
Kim was among the first responders deployed to fight the fire that broke out at a Bucheon factory on Friday. He was transported to a hospital for treatment but died at around 12:55 a.m. Saturday.
Another firefighter was seriously injured in the blaze, and four others showed symptoms of heat exhaustion. Two factory workers were also taken to hospital after inhaling smoke, bringing the total number of casualties to eight.
ken@heraldcorp.com
