It is impossible to get rich working as a firefighter. And there is little fame that comes with that job as well. But our brave firefighters don’t think twice before stepping out every day to save the lives of people trapped inside burning buildings. Since Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, 263 firefighters have given their lives to save others, while almost 5,000 have been injured in the line of duty. It is hard for others to even fathom the pain and suffering experienced by firefighters who are injured or killed in the line of work -- by burning, suffocating under noxious fumes or drowning while rescuing people in the water. Their families suffer unbearable pain as well.

One survey shows that four out of five firefighters suffer from post-traumatic stress. Firefighters said they suffered from anxiety, depression, insomnia and aggressive feelings, as well as the guilt of having been unable to save the lives of people screaming for help. They also said they suffered from memories of horrific scenes.

Around 70 percent of the fire and rescue teams in the 746 regions across the country are staffed by one firefighter. One firefighter who was in charge of a jurisdiction in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province in February ended up losing his life while trying to put out a fire there by himself. Working two, 24-hour shifts, they sleep in spaces smaller than a solitary confinement cell. These are the conditions they must work under. According to the National Emergency Management Agency, these firefighters are estimated to save close to W4 trillion (US$1=W1,049) worth of assets each year through their dedicated work and sacrifice. And no financial value can be put on the lives they save.

When everyone was escaping the scene during the 9/11 attacks in New York City, firefighters rushed to the scene. It is the fate of firefighters to meet face-to-face with danger, which others do everything to escape to save their own lives. People in another country bow their heads out of respect for their firefighters and remember them as heroes. America is one country that does this. Children in the United States dream about becoming firefighters, while the profession ranks second highest in terms of job satisfaction and in the happiness index.

But in another country, one out of every two firefighters want to quit, while 8 out of 10 people in this profession say they don’t want their children to become firefighters. That country is Korea. One of the main reasons why firefighters want to quit is because of the lack of respect they receive in society. Children in Korea dream about getting rich. And in such a society where self sacrifice is ridiculed, it is only natural for firefighters to want to quit, while forbidding their children from following in their professional footsteps.

And it’s not just firefighters. In Korea, there is no social atmosphere that engenders a deep sense of respect for those who step up to do dangerous and low-paying work, such as firefighters, police officers and soldiers. Our society is supported by the sacrifices made by these people, but it is no exaggeration to say that the lives of such people are being used. It is not a matter of changing their salaries. This is a problem that all of us should think deeply about in front of the dead bodies of the three firefighters.