South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook has pledged a full review of the support the government gives firefighters, saying the state should check it is doing enough for them before asking them to devote themselves to public safety.

Han made the pledge on Sunday, 8 November, during a government consultation meeting with the ruling party in Seoul, held a day before the 64th anniversary of the Day of Firefighting.

"There are many things for the government to take care of, but the lives and safety of the public are one of the top priorities. There is nothing that precedes this," Han said.

The prime minister said the government would discuss measures to expand funding for essential areas and personnel expenses, as well as seek solutions for issues that need consultation with other bodies. She also vowed to inspect preparations for the winter cold thoroughly, stressing that heavy snow and cold are natural disasters that threaten people's daily lives.

Han also paid tribute to Kim Jin-seok, a firefighter who died while responding to a factory fire in Bucheon, west of Seoul, last month. His death has sharpened the debate over whether firefighters have the staffing, equipment and funding they need.

The funding question has been running for weeks. Firefighters were reclassified as central government employees in 2020, but local administrations have continued to shoulder a large share of the costs, and the strain on regional budgets has become a point of dispute. In October, Budget Minister Park Hong-geun pledged to examine potential vulnerabilities in the funding framework, involving the presidential office, the interior ministry, the fire agency and regional governments.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae described firefighters as a fiscal drain on regional budgets, a remark that drew criticism and kept the funding row in public view. A proposed Future Fund, due to launch next year and financed from windfall tax revenues from the semiconductor sector, has also been part of the debate over how fire services should be paid for.

With the review now formally on the government's agenda and the Day of Firefighting falling on Monday, pressure is expected to mount for concrete measures rather than another round of consultation. The prime minister's remarks set the terms of that test: whether the government can show it is providing full support, including funding and personnel, before asking firefighters to put themselves at risk.

No timetable for the review's conclusions was announced on Sunday. The meeting was attended by Fire Commissioner Choi Yong-cheol and ruling Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok.