▲ Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae holds a meeting with firefighters from the Korean Government Employees' Union Firefighting Headquarters at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on October 20.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae stated on October 21 regarding the Democratic Party of Korea's disciplinary warning over her "firefighting financial straw" remark, "I humbly accept the party's decision to issue a warning and will exercise greater caution in my words and actions moving forward."
Hong Eun-kwang, spokesperson for Gyeonggi Province, conveyed Governor Choo's stance through a media notice.
Choo added, "Moving forward, I will fulfill my responsibilities as governor to secure stable firefighting financial resources and enhance firefighter safety during firefighting operations, which was the original intent of my remarks."
The Democratic Party announced that it has decided to issue a warning to Governor Choo and Representative Boo Seung-chan, who sparked controversy with their remarks regarding firefighting finances.
Party Spokesperson Cho Gye-won stated, "This is intended to urge heavy reflection and prevent recurrence by the individuals involved," adding, "The party once again offers its deepest apologies to firefighting officials and the public."
Previously, on October 13, Governor Choo sparked controversy during the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee's audit of Gyeonggi Province while mentioning local government financial issues and budgets related to state firefighting officials, stating, "It seems like firefighting is the most troublesome financial straw."
Later, on October 17, after visiting the mortuary of the late Fire Sergeant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty during a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, she caused further controversy by saying, "Since you want an apology, I apologize from the bottom of my heart."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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