Two firefighters dismissed, 15 disciplined over workplace bullying case

Two firefighters have been dismissed, and 12 others have received severe disciplinary actions following an investigation into workplace bullying that led to the death of a female firefighter. The South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City Fire Department announced the disciplinary measures on August 27.

The disciplinary committee convened on August 24 to review the cases of 15 public officials found to have violated regulations during an inspection by the Prime Minister's Office's Government Joint Public Service Duty Inspection Team. The committee imposed severe disciplinary actions on 12 individuals, including the two dismissals, and lighter disciplinary measures on three others.

The committee's decisions were based on a comprehensive review of the circumstances and level of responsibility for confirmed misconduct. This included allegations of forcing colleagues to drink, inappropriate responses to the bereaved family's requests for an investigation, and violations of regulations in handling personal information.

The Prime Minister's Office had announced the results of its inspection on June 24, covering the Fire Service Bureau, the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City Fire Department, and the Gwangsan Fire Station. It had requested disciplinary action against 17 individuals. Two officials belonging to the Fire Service Bureau were disciplined by their agency.