[Eugene]
[Eugene]

Andang Academic Scholarship Foundation to cover full college tuition for deceased's children

Condolence money and scholarship certificate to be delivered through Korea Fire Officials Mutual Aid Association

Factory halted ready-mix concrete shipments during blaze, activated its own firefighting equipment

Eugene will provide 20 million won ($15,100) in condolence money to the family of a firefighter who died in the line of duty at a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The Andang Academic Scholarship Foundation, an affiliate of Eugene Group, also pledged to cover the full cost of college tuition for the deceased's children through graduation.

Eugene announced Thursday that its Bucheon factory and the Andang Academic Scholarship Foundation would support the bereaved family of the late Kim Jin-seok, a fire lieutenant with the Bucheon Fire Station who was killed in the blaze that broke out Friday.

The 20 million won condolence payment and a scholarship certificate for college tuition support are to be delivered to the family through the Korea Fire Officials Mutual Aid Association.

The fire broke out Friday at a factory adjacent to Eugene's Bucheon factory, where the company's headquarters is located. Kim died while fighting the blaze, and seven others — including firefighters and factory workers — were injured.

At the time of the fire, Eugene's Bucheon factory halted ready-mix concrete shipments and activated its own firefighting equipment to assist with the initial response.

Yoo Seok-hun, chairman of the Andang Academic Scholarship Foundation, expressed deep condolences for the firefighter's sacrifice. "We pay our deepest respects to the noble sacrifice of the deceased, who gave his life protecting the safety of the public, and offer our heartfelt condolences to his family," Yoo said. "We will not forget his dedication and will support his children's education all the way through."

Meanwhile, the National Fire Agency on Tuesday launched a 22-member joint investigation team to determine the cause of the accident. The team will spend the next 30 days examining whether flammable materials at the factory were stored and handled in compliance with regulations, as well as reviewing the fire response process.


hong@heraldcorp.com