Subtitled News: Firefighter Who Died Before Wedding Was Forced to Drink; Alleged Perpetrator Promoted 3 Months Later

It has been revealed that one of the superiors accused of workplace bullying in the case of a firefighter in her 20s who took her own life last October had already been reported to an internal anonymous whistleblowing system for separate allegations of abuse just three months before her death.

According to the Gwangju Fire Safety Headquarters, Fire Lieutenant B, one of the superiors identified as an abuser by the late Fire Officer A before her death, was reported to "Red Whistle," an internal anonymous reporting system, last year.

The report was filed just about three months before the victim's death, citing allegations of workplace bullying against subordinates.

It is reported that on the night of July 8 last year, shortly after becoming aware of the internal report, Fire Lieutenant B contacted subordinates, including the deceased, saying, "I'm having a hard time because someone reported me to Red Whistle. Let's meet."

The bereaved family and the labor union claimed that Fire Officer A, who found it difficult to refuse a demand from a superior with authority over personnel evaluations, ended up attending the drinking gathering alone and was even forced to join the superior at a karaoke bar.

After Fire Officer A, who was preparing for her wedding, eventually passed away, her fiancé requested an inspection by the headquarters based on text messages from the deceased. However, the headquarters faced controversy for failing to conduct an inspection for over five months.

Fire Inspector B, who was cleared of charges in the subsequent internal inspection, was reportedly transferred to a staff position at the Gwangju Fire Safety Headquarters, a higher-level agency, this past January.

According to the union, moving from field duty to an internal staff position at the headquarters is generally considered a "fast track to promotion" within the fire department.

The firefighters' union stated, "If the headquarters had conducted a strict inspection and properly investigated the accused when the Red Whistle report was filed, this situation would not have occurred," adding, "The organization's internal warning system effectively failed to perform its role."

Fire Officer A, who was with the Gwangju Gwangsan Fire Station, was found dead last October, sparking controversy over allegations that she had suffered from frequent forced drinking gatherings and workplace bullying.

President Lee Jae-myung also commented on the incident via social media on the 11th, stating, "It is truly deplorable that such outdated public officials still exist," and ordered a thorough investigation into the cause and circumstances of the firefighter's death, as well as why the request for an inspection was ignored.

In particular, he ordered that the investigation be led by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, rather than the National Fire Agency, to ensure objectivity.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination plans to conduct an on-site investigation at the Gwangsan Fire Station this week.

Reported by Kim Min-jung | Video by Lee In-sun | Design by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.