'Chungju Man' Kim Seon-tae, Civil Servant, Shares Coffee with Public Workers Struggling at Wildfire Site

Kim Seon-tae (36), a civil servant known as 'Chungju Man,' visited a recent wildfire site in Gyeongbuk, which suffered considerable damage, to deliver warm words of encouragement to the public workers.

On the 1st, a video titled 'I Went to the Wildfire Site' was uploaded on the official YouTube channel of Chungju City.

In the video, Kim stated, "I heard that the onsite staff in the Gyeongbuk region are having a tough time due to the wildfire. Although I can't provide significant help, I want to see the situation firsthand and offer some support."

Immediately heading to Andong, Kim drove for 1 hour and 40 minutes and purchased a large quantity of coffee to deliver to the public workers. Luckily, the flames had not spread to downtown Andong, but upon visiting the scene, Kim witnessed the devastating traces left by the fire. The mountains were charred black, and as he spotted burned houses and facilities, Kim let out a sigh.

He particularly noted the situation was worse than he had thought while in Imha-myeon, Andong City, stating, "The flames reached right up to the front of the township office, and there are still many places emitting smoke." He quietly placed the coffee down without disturbing the employees who were busily engaged in recovery work.

Chungju Man: "The situation is worse than expected"… Also delivered additional drinks

During this process, he coincidentally encountered public workers from the accounting department of Andong City who were out helping to clean up the embers. Kim remarked, "Seeing employees from various departments of the city hall engaged in the cleanup touched my heart," and he provided additional drinks.

Delivering beverages to public workers in areas affected by the wildfire, including Namseon-myeon, Namhu-myeon, Iljik-myeon, and Pungcheon-myeon, Kim commented, "As I looked around, I saw that the employees were tirelessly working in shifts," adding, "I heard that some employees, who have been continuously deployed to the wildfire site, have gotten injured, which truly saddens me."

Kim emphasized, "Many people are already aware of the hardships faced by firefighters, but our civil servants working quietly onsite are also in very tough situations. Public workers are not just extinguishing fires; they have to support evacuations, assist in disaster recovery, and manage facilities, which places a significant burden on them."

He did not forget to request encouragement for the civil servants working on the front lines.

In conclusion, he expressed, "I hope you will send a lot of support and encouragement to the civil servants working on the ground," adding, "I would be grateful if everyone could also contribute to wildfire prevention." He also offered condolences for those who have lost their lives due to the wildfire.

Three weeks prior to this wildfire incident, Kim had raised awareness through his YouTube channel by showcasing wildfire suppression efforts.

Image source: youtube 'Chungju City'