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'No safety measures in place': Family suing gov't after applicant dies in firefighting test

Published: 24 Mar. 2025, 19:02

Applicants for a wildfire suppression team carry backpack pumps during a physical fitness test at Yellow City Stadium in Jangseong County, South Jeolla, on Jan. 23. [YONHAP]

The family of a man in his 70s who died during a physical fitness test for a wildfire suppression team has filed a lawsuit claiming the death could have been prevented with proper emergency response.

The 76-year-old man named Yoo collapsed and died of cardiac arrest after participating in a physical assessment at a riverside park in Jangseong County, South Jeolla, on Jan. 21. He collapsed during a break after completing a stair-climbing test while carrying a 15-kilogram (33-pound) backpack.

His family filed a damage suit against Janseong County on Friday, a civic group monitoring workplace safety and health in the region said Monday.

At the time, 59 of the 76 applicants were older than 60, including 27 in their 70s.

Despite the high number of elderly applicants, the county failed to provide an ambulance or an automated external defibrillator at the site, according to the watchdog group.

Under Korea Forest Service guidelines for wildfire crew recruitment, an ambulance, emergency medical staff and medical equipment must be on standby at physical test sites. The guidelines also require group injury insurance coverage in the event of an accident.

“We filed information disclosure requests with all 22 cities and counties in South Jeolla and confirmed that Jangseong was the only one where none of these safety measures were in place,” the group said.

A lawyer representing Yoo’s family argued that the death was caused by a clear breach of safety management responsibilities on the part of the county.

Jangseong County declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying it was inappropriate to speak on the matter while litigation was ongoing.

Meanwhile, the county was found to have sent Yoo a text message the day after the incident notifying him of a retest. An official from the county later apologized, saying the message had been “sent to all applicants in haste under instructions from higher authorities.”

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY HWANG HEE-GYU [[email protected]]