Seoul, Nov 9 (IANS): South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday pledged to open a hospital for firefighters in 2024 to better safeguard their safety and health.

In a message marking the 59th Fire Service Day, Moon also vowed to improve firefighting equipment and provide more personal safety gear, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The firefighter hospital, which is under construction as planned, will open in 2024 as the nation "will do its utmost to continue to safeguard firefighters' safety and health", Moon said.

"People have always had faith in firefighters. The way to repay that trust is to ensure your safety," the President added.

The government has recruited 12,000 additional firefighters to make up for insufficient firefighters on the front-lines.

Moon said the government will recruit more firefighters next year to keep its pledge of hiring a total of 20,000 personnel.

The President also thanked firefighters for playing a great role in the battle to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.