Gyeonggi Province to Pay 34.1 Billion Won in Outstanding Overtime Allowances to 8,245 Firefighters

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Gyeonggi Province has decided to pay 34.1 billion won in outstanding overtime allowances to firefighters. This resolves a long-standing aspiration of firefighters spanning 16 years since 2010.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon stated, "Firefighters' overtime work is a record of valued dedication and labor that has protected the lives and safety of provincial residents," and added, "Through this measure, we will ensure that the firefighters' 16-year aspiration receives just compensation and properly conclude this matter."

The province announced on the 29th that it will pay 34.1 billion won in outstanding overtime allowances to 8,245 active and former firefighters in Gyeonggi Province by March 31.

The Seoul High Court made a decision on January 13 of "payment of principal only, excluding interest" and transmitted a settlement recommendation to Gyeonggi Province and active and former firefighters accordingly. In response, the province requested prosecutorial guidance from the Justice Ministry regarding the settlement recommendation decision, and with a ruling of "no objection" on the 23rd, the payment of overtime allowances was finalized. Under the current system, administrative lawsuits require guidance from the Justice Ministry regarding final decisions.

The 34.1 billion won follows the high court's settlement recommendation and represents the principal amount excluding 22.2 billion won in interest from the total 56.3 billion won claimed by active and former firefighters, averaging approximately 4.13 million won per person.

The province explained that although 3,790 people filed the lawsuit, it decided to apply the same fair standards to all eligible recipients regardless of whether they filed suit, which is why the number of recipients is 8,245.

Accordingly, 5,586 active firefighters (2.16 billion won) will receive lump-sum payments to their salary accounts before the Lunar New Year holiday, while 2,659 former firefighters and others (1.25 billion won) will receive sequential payments by March 31 after identity verification.

This covers overtime allowances including break-time allowances from March 2010 to February 2017. At that time, the Ministry of Interior and Safety deducted break-time allowances (maximum 2 hours per day) during work hours for firefighters with field duties according to allowance guidelines, but following a Supreme Court ruling in 2019 that "break time is included in work hours," the previously deducted allowances are now being paid.

Lawsuits regarding firefighters' overtime allowances were filed by various local governments starting in 2010. Although firefighters work very long actual hours due to 24-hour shift rotations and frequent duty assignments, there has been a practice of paying overtime compensation on a "fixed amount" or "ceiling" basis due to budget constraints and Ministry of Interior and Safety guidelines. Consequently, lawsuits were filed demanding that break-time and other factors be included in allowance calculations and that compensation be calculated based on total actual work hours.

At that time, the province proposed a method of comprehensive settlement without litigation through "pre-lawsuit settlement" and initially paid only certain categories such as overtime on duty days and overtime on days off. Break-time work allowances, holiday meal work allowances, and joint work allowances were excluded from payment as contested matters. However, firefighters viewed this compromise as leaving out remaining allowances and continued with subsequent complaints and lawsuits.

Although court decisions favored the province (Gyeonggi Province won in the first and second trials), during negotiations, Governor Kim Dong-yeon instructed relevant officials through a policy coordination meeting last September to "devise a reasonable solution." During the October Gyeonggi Province national audit, he stated, "Regarding the overtime allowance lawsuit, Gyeonggi Province won in both the first and second trials, but I have been carefully observing and considering various circumstances. Separately from the court's judgment, we will discuss how to resolve this," preparing solutions beyond legal determination.

During this process, National Assembly members including Rep. Lee Sang-sik (2025 national audit), Rep. Lee Hae-sik, Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, and Rep. Yang Bu-nam, as well as Provincial Assembly members including Assemblymember Jang Min-soo (367th Extraordinary Session provincial government question), Assemblymember Ahn Gye-il, and Committee Chair Im Sang-o of the Safety and Administration Committee provided field voices, raised the necessity for improvement, and offered opinions that served as reference for Gyeonggi Province in devising reasonable solutions.

Consequently, after multifaceted review, the province proposed to the court, active and former firefighters, and the Justice Ministry a plan for "payment of principal excluding interest." From October to December last year, the province sent opinion documents requesting settlement recommendations to the court and also requested active and former firefighters' agreement to the settlement recommendation with the same content. Furthermore, the Justice Ministry, which has prosecutorial guidance authority over the defendant (Gyeonggi Province), expressed agreement with "no objection" when making the settlement recommendation decision, putting a period to a 16-year controversy.

Governor Kim Dong-yeon stated, "Paying outstanding overtime allowances is an act of upholding the dedication and honor of firefighters who have protected the lives and safety of provincial residents, and Gyeonggi Province will continue to faithfully fulfill its responsibility under fair standards to ensure that labor is properly respected and protected."