[Anchor]
Amid news of firefighters being injured, Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, who sparked controversy with her remark describing the firefighting organization as a "fiscal straw," visited the site of a fire in Bucheon. While firefighters' unions are demanding a public apology for the remarks made during a parliamentary audit three days ago, Governor Choo avoided answering questions regarding the issue.
Reporter Kim Kwan-jin reports.
[Reporter]
Canceling her scheduled itinerary, Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae visited the site of a fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, where firefighters were injured, and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured firefighters.
[Choo Mi-ae / Gyeonggi Province Governor: I am truly grateful to the firefighters for their courage and dedication.]
However, when a reporter asked a question regarding Governor Choo's controversial "fiscal straw" remark, Choo waved her hand and refused to answer.
[Choo Mi-ae / Gyeonggi Province Governor: (Governor, firefighters' unions are protesting your "fiscal straw" remark...) Do not talk about that.]
During the parliamentary audit of Gyeonggi Province on October 13, Governor Choo said "I agree" in response to an opposition lawmaker's point that the share of state funding for firefighting finances should be increased, and added the following.
[Choo Mi-ae / Gyeonggi Province Governor (October 13, Gyeonggi Province Parliamentary Audit): The fire service seems to be the biggest, most troublesome fiscal straw. In labor costs alone, it will eat up 1.1 trillion won in 2027.]
Two days ago, the day after this remark was made, the Firefighters' Headquarters of the Korean Government Employees' Union, affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, demanded an apology from Governor Choo, calling it an "insult" that defamed the honor of 70,000 firefighting civil servants nationwide. Yesterday, a firefighters' union affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions also expressed regret, saying the fire service is not a straw draining someone's pockets.
Gyeonggi Province offered an explanation regarding Governor Choo's remark, saying it was intended to emphasize that local governments still bear most of the financial burden even though firefighters were transitioned to national civil servant status.
Following today's fire in Bucheon, the KGEU Firefighters' Headquarters issued another statement, demanding that Governor Choo "apologize on your knees," asking, "Can you still say 'fiscal straw' after seeing fallen firefighters?"
The People Power Party also criticized the remark, saying it devalued the dedication of firefighters.
[Jeong Hee-yong / People Power Party Secretary General: Do you regard the dedication of firefighters, who protect the lives and safety of the people, as merely a burden draining public finances?]
The Democratic Party, to which Governor Choo belongs, released a commentary stating, "We offer our sincere apologies to firefighters and their families who were hurt by the expression Governor Choo used."
(Video by Oh Young-choon, Shin Dong-hwan, and Kim Yong-woo | Video edited by Jeon Min-gyu | Graphics by Yang Ki-tae)
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