They eroded the trust of the public when they violated the privacy of family members over the death of a loved one, fans fumed.

Now, two fire-department staff in South Korea have been disciplined after they shared information, with colleagues, of the death of K-pop star Sulli on Oct 14.

The details eventually were leaked online, sparking anger and condemnation.

In October, the department had apologised, adding that it would punish those who were guilty.

On Thursday (Nov 14), it said two men had been removed from their posts, and that it had forwarded the matter to the police for further action.

The department will decide on the next course of action after the police probe, reported the allkpop portal.

Sulli, 25, a former member of girl group f(x), was found dead at home by her manager on Oct 14.

Her death sparked further scrutiny on the pressures facing K-pop artists, and prompted debate over further measures to curb the behaviour of abusive netizens.

An autopsy into Sulli's death has ruled out foul play but results of toxicology and drug tests are still pending.