Home > National > Social Affairs

Fire authorities to expand psychological support for firefighters dispatched to Itaewon, Jeju Air disasters

Published: 23 Aug. 2025, 17:24 Updated: 24 Aug. 2025, 15:05

Police and firefighters look over the alleyway next to the Hamilton Hotel, the site of the Itaewon crowd crush that killed more than 150 people in 2022. [NEWS1]

Fire authorities on Saturday announced plans to provide follow-up psychological support to all firefighters who were responded to the Itaewon crowd crush and the Jeju Air crash.

Around 3,300 firefighters from stations in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong and South Chungcheong who were deployed to the disaster scenes are subject to additional counseling sessions with medical professionals. The firefighters had been in charge of recovering victims' bodies and transporting the injured.

While 1,316 firefighters who took part in rescue operations on Oct. 29, 2022, for the Itaewon crowd crush have already received intensive counseling for a year, experts say the efforts fell short, saying a systematic long-term care system should be in place to help those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Police officers stand guard as firefighters and recovery teams work at the scene where a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla, on Dec. 30, 2024. [AFP/YONHAP]

Concerns for those still suffering from the traumatic experience resurfaced following a recent incident where a firefighter who was dispatched to Itaewon went missing for 10 days before being found dead.

"A number of firefighters are willing to receive the counseling, but others do not want to recall the traumatic memories," a spokesperson for the National Fire Agency said. "We plan to discuss with experts and proceed with caution on how best to conduct additional support sessions."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.