Korean Firefighters Rescue Woman during Overseas Training

It was recently revealed that South Korea’s excellent rescue firefighters came to the aid of an accident victim while participating in an overseas training program.

According to the National Fire Agency on Sept. 3, 22 firefighters selected as excellent rescue firefighters for 2025 participated in a training program in the Czech Republic and Slovakia from Aug. 25 to Sept. 2. On the fourth day of the program, Aug. 28, they witnessed an accident in downtown Brno while returning to their accommodations. A middle-aged woman riding an electric scooter had caught her vehicle on a structure, causing her to fall and sustain severe injuries to her right elbow and both palms, leaving her temporarily immobilized.

The firefighters rushed to her side without hesitation. To prevent secondary accidents, they managed traffic at the scene and used medications and dressing kits they carried to provide immediate emergency care. They advised her to call an ambulance, but she declined, saying the emergency care was “perfect,” and instead contacted her daughter. The firefighters ensured she was safely handed over before returning to their accommodations. Bystanders who witnessed the scene commended the response as “remarkably orderly and professional.”

The woman later expressed her gratitude in an email, updating the firefighters on her condition. The message, written in Korean, read: “Thank you for saving me. I will never forget this and hope to repay you someday.”


임재혁 heok@donga.com