A total of 1,914 new firefighters have been ultimately selected to lead South Korea's fire services in 2025. The National Fire Agency announced today, the 18th, that all stages of this year's firefighter recruitment examination have concluded and the final successful candidates have been confirmed. They will now undertake the crucial mission of protecting the lives and safety of the public. This recruitment process began with a written exam on March 29th, followed by rigorous physical fitness tests and in-depth interviews for final selection.
Detailed Recruitment Fields Focus on Enhancing Expertise
A notable aspect of this year's recruitment is the balanced selection through both open competitive recruitment and career competitive recruitment. Out of the total 1,914 successful candidates, 911 (48%) were selected through open competitive recruitment, while 1,003 (52%) were selected through career competitive recruitment, focusing on securing specialized personnel. In particular, the career competitive recruitment was subdivided into 12 fields, including rescue, emergency medical services, automobile maintenance, fireboat navigation, information and communication, and chemistry. This ensures that individuals with specialized knowledge and practical capabilities in specific areas will be deployed to various firefighting duties, including field operations and administration. This reflects the National Fire Agency's commitment to proactively respond to evolving disaster environments and provide more specialized fire services. This outcome is understood to reflect the growing importance of firefighting personnel with specialized knowledge and skills in specific fields as recent disaster patterns become more complex and large-scale.
Slight Increase in Average Age of Successful Candidates, Decrease in Female Candidate Ratio
The average age of the final successful candidates is 27.7 years old, a slight increase from 27.2 years last year. This can be interpreted as a result of longer preparation periods for the firefighter examination or an increase in applicants transitioning to firefighting after gaining experience in other professions. In terms of gender composition, 1,573 men (82.2%) and 341 women (17.8%) were selected, indicating a 0.6% decrease in the proportion of female successful candidates compared to last year. Given the increasing role of female firefighters, this decrease in the female success rate may warrant further analysis and policy attention regarding the future composition of firefighting personnel.
Selection of Capable Individuals Amidst Fierce Competition
This year's firefighter recruitment examination, like previous years, saw high competition rates and garnered significant interest. Notably, the written exam introduced elective subjects in addition to compulsory subjects such as Introduction to Firefighting, Fire Safety Laws, Korean History, English, and General Administrative Law. This aimed to reduce the study burden for applicants while focusing on evaluating practical capabilities. Successful candidates from the written exam then underwent rigorous physical fitness tests to verify their essential physical abilities for firefighting duties. They had to pass certain standards in six events, including grip strength, back muscle strength, sit-ups, standing long jump, and shuttle run, reflecting the importance of field operations. The final stage, the interview examination, assessed various qualities required of a firefighter, such as personality, job understanding, and crisis response capabilities, focusing on selecting individuals who can actively respond in real-world situations beyond mere knowledge acquisition.
New Recruits: Cornerstones of Future Fire Services
The aspiring firefighters who have successfully passed the final selection must register themselves as candidates for employment by preparing their identification and submitted documents and visiting the fire department headquarters in the region they applied for. The National Fire Agency stipulates that failure to register as a candidate for employment within the specified period will be regarded as an unwillingness to be appointed as a firefighter. Therefore, successful candidates must complete all procedures within the designated timeframe. Detailed information on registration methods and schedules can be found in the "Employment Candidate Registration Guide" posted on the National Fire Agency's website and 119 Noticeboard.
Han Seon, the Training Officer at the National Fire Agency, emphasized, "The newly recruited firefighters will undertake the crucial mission of protecting public safety. We will ensure they receive systematic education and training to become the best firefighters." These new firefighters will undergo intensive new recruit training courses at the Central Fire Academy and regional fire academies. This training focuses on developing all necessary competencies for firefighters, including fire suppression techniques, emergency rescue techniques, disaster site response training, and mental health management. Through this training, they will not only acquire knowledge but also develop practical response capabilities for various situations that may arise in the field, fostering a firefighting spirit that prioritizes citizen safety.
These 1,914 new firefighters will play a vital role in protecting the lives and property of the public on the front lines of disaster sites. Their contributions are expected to significantly enhance the quality of South Korea's fire services and contribute to building a safer society. Attention is now focused on how they will stand by the public in the future.
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