The Korea Herald

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Firefighter saves woman hanging from high-rise balcony

By Yoon Min-sik

Published : July 18, 2024 - 14:32

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Firefighter Shin Gang-min rescues the woman hanging from the railing on Tuesday in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. (Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters) Firefighter Shin Gang-min rescues the woman hanging from the railing on Tuesday in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. (Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters)

A 28-year-old firefighter is being hailed a hero after a video of him saving a woman who was hanging from the balcony of a high-rise building went viral.

Firefighter Shin Gang-min saved a woman in her 30s who was hanging from the railing of a 13th-floor apartment unit in Wansan-gu, Jeonju, North Jeolla Province on Tuesday. The woman had climbed over in an attempt to take her own life, which the Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters learned of after receiving a report at around 5:46 p.m.

After the police said that they were having difficulty persuading the woman out of jumping, firefighters went up to the 14th floor to a unit right above where the woman was. Shin bound himself in rope and swiftly descended to where she was, getting her to safety.

Firefighter Shin Gang-min (Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters) Firefighter Shin Gang-min (Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters)

"We contemplated the best way to rescue her safety and quietly, so that she would not get scared... I would've been scared myself if it had just been me, but I wasn't, because I was with my team," Shin was quoted as saying.

Shin has been a firefighter for nearly two years, having previously served for seven years as a member of the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command.