Pine trees around a pension complex burned by the wildfire that occurred in Yeongdeok County. Ban Gi-Ung

Park Jeong-su (alias), who ran a pension in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang Province, left a long message in February in a group chat of wildfire victims from the Yeongnam region. It was a message blaming himself for not taking an active part in the victims group. His final message in the chat was “I am Park Jeong-su (alias), who only talks about trees behind their backs.” The pension, which had been both his means of livelihood and the place he lived, became a source of despair after the massive wildfire last March. On the 23rd of last month, Mr. Park died by suicide.

On the 9th, at the office of the Yeongdeok Wildfire Countermeasures Committee in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang Province, we met the neighbor of Mr. Park, Lee Su-Gil (alias, 69). Even the day before he left this world, Mr. Park stopped by to check on Mr. Lee. The words he said most often to Mr. Lee over the past year were “It is all over because of the wildfire.”

Mr. Park began building a pension in February 2023 and started operating in 2024. Mr. Lee said, “I heard the bank loans alone amounted to 350 million won,” adding, “He said he would build a separate house to live in in front of the pension, and because he was stockpiling materials, it probably cost him more.” Fortunately, business at the pension went smoothly. It was not far from the sea and sat in the middle of a forest, offering a fine view. The stand of large, mature pine trees surrounding the complex was a magnificent sight. Visitors left comments saying, “I liked taking my time walking along a path full of pines.”

On March 23, 2025, the fire that started in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang, spread to Yeongdeok County in nine hours and reached the pension complex where his pension stood. The 100-year-old pine forest was charred black in an instant. The pension avoided major damage. Of the 18 units in the complex, nine were completely destroyed by fire, and the pension owned by Mr. Park was among the half that survived.

The problem was the pine forest, burned pitch-black. The pension operators, who found it hard to look at it, asked the government to fell the dead trees, and the pines within 30ｍ of the pension were cut down.

A pension complex in Yeongdeok damaged by the wildfire. Ban Gi-Ung

Mr. Park began operating during the peak summer season, but visitors did not come as before. Those who came occasionally left disappointed. Mr. Lee said, “After the wildfire, people would stay one night and then leave, saying, ‘With scenery like this, I will never be able to come again,’” and added, “Now the entire complex is effectively closed.”

On July 14 last year, Mr. Park went on his own to the Yeongdeok County Mental Health and Welfare Center for counseling. In the assessment, his depression, anxiety, and suicide scales all came out at dangerous levels, and he was classified as “high risk.” The center informed him of clinics he could visit and recommended treatment.

The center conducted telephone monitoring twice, but when Mr. Park said he did not want further counseling, it closed the case as of August 12. A center official said, “We proceeded according to the prescribed manual,” and, “He said he felt much more stable and did not want additional counseling, so we closed the case.” Afterward, the center sent Mr. Park two more informational text messages in September and December last year.

Mr. Park’s condition worsened rapidly after last summer. Mr. Lee said, “He had always avoided alcohol, but he began to drink heavily,” and, “He often lamented, wondering what he should do from now on.” He added, “Because the pension building was not heavily burned, Mr. Park received almost no compensation,” and, “The cost of repairing broken windows, 2.1 million won, was likely all there was.”

On March 26 last year, evacuees gathered at the National Sports Center in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang Province. Han Su-Bin

After the summer peak season ended, even the sparse weekend guests stopped coming. Living apart from his family to operate the pension, Mr. Park rarely came out. He should have been connected to a regional trauma center capable of inpatient treatment for intensive care, but after the case was “closed,” it did not lead to any further steps.

According to data on disaster psychological support that Rep. Jeon Jin-Sook of the Democratic Party of Korea received from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, after the ultra-large wildfires in Ulsan·North Gyeongsang·South Gyeongsang in March last year, the Integrated Psychological Support Group conducted a total of 10,262 counseling sessions (3,073 psychological first aid·7,189 psychological counseling) at temporary shelters in each region. Although high-risk individuals were identified through counseling, the list of high-risk individuals was not linked to the National Trauma Center. Only the counseling record remained, and sustained integrated management for the high-risk group was not carried out. An official at the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, “Case management for high-risk individuals is being carried out at the level of regional trauma centers or each local mental health and welfare center.”

Baek Jong-Woo, professor of psychiatry at Kyung Hee University Hospital, said, “Mental health problems among disaster victims are difficult to solve with counseling or referral to hospitals alone, and continuous case management and livelihood support must be provided together,” adding, “In disaster-affected areas, the number of professionals should be increased in proportion to the scale of damage, and a system for continuous outreach to victims should be established.”