Government honors spring wildfire contributors with 488 awards as damage drops 99 percent

The interior ministry said Monday it held an awards ceremony with the Korea Forest Service as the government honored individuals and organizations with a total of 488 awards. The area damaged by wildfires fell 99 percent from last year, while the time needed to extinguish main fires was cut by 58 percent.

No deaths were reported from wildfires between January 1 and May 15, a result the government attributed to a comprehensive countermeasure plan established in October 2025 following major blazes the previous year. The awards, which included presidential commendations and ministerial citations, followed presidential instructions at State Council meetings to broadly honor those who helped reduce wildfire damage.

Recipients included local government officials, military personnel, police officers, firefighters and private citizens. The highest honors went to Lee Yong-kwon, a forest disaster control officer at the Korea Forest Service, and Cheon In-su, an official from Gyeongsangnam Province. Lee was recognized for leading the development of the comprehensive wildfire plan and overseeing integrated command of wildfire suppression, while Cheon was honored for expanding privately leased helicopters and helping establish a regional aerial firefighting support system.

Other recipients included Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jeong-hoon of the Ministry of National Defense, who established a regional wildfire deployment system for military helicopters and supported fire-line reconnaissance assets, and Fire Superintendent Shin Yu-seop of the Fire Agency, who created and operated a dedicated wildfire response organization. Private citizens recognized included a volunteer firefighter who prevented a fire at a factory near a forest from becoming a wildfire and a monitor who detected and reported a residential fire near a forest and quickly evacuated residents.

Interior Minister Yoon Ho-joong and Forest Service Chief Park Eun-sik personally presented 30 of the awards.

"The significant reduction in spring wildfire damage was possible because related agencies cooperated closely as a wildfire one-team and field personnel dedicated themselves to their respective positions," Yoon said. He added that the government will make every effort to protect lives and safety through thorough preparation and swift on-site response for autumn wildfires as well.

Park expressed hope that the ceremony would serve as a small reward for the hard work of those who guarded the wildfire sites.