Choo Mi-ae Waves off Question on 'Fiscal Straw' Remark: "Apologize on Your Knees"

[Anchor]

Amid news of injured firefighters, Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, who sparked controversy by calling the fire service a "fiscal straw," visited the scene of a fire in Bucheon. While firefighter labor unions are demanding a public apology for her 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 fire scene in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, where firefighters were injured, and wished for their quick recovery.

[Choo Mi-ae / Gyeonggi Province Governor: "I am truly grateful to the firefighters for their courage and dedication."]

However, when a reporter asked about Governor Choo's controversial "fiscal straw" remark, she waved her hand and refused to answer.

[Choo Mi-ae / Gyeonggi Province Governor: (Governor, firefighter unions are pushing back against your 'fiscal straw' remark...) "Do not bring that up."]

On October 13, during a parliamentary audit of the Gyeonggi provincial government, Governor Choo responded "I agree" to an opposition lawmaker's point that "the proportion of state funding in fire service finances should be increased," and remarked as follows:

[Choo Mi-ae / Gyeonggi Province Governor (October 13, Parliamentary Audit of Gyeonggi Provincial Government): "The fire service seems to be the biggest, most troublesome fiscal straw. In personnel expenses alone, it will eat up 1.1 trillion won in 2027."]

On Wednesday, two days ago and the day after the remarks were 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 "act of insult" that defamed the honor of 70,000 fire service officials nationwide. Yesterday, the firefighter union affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions also expressed regret, stating that the fire service is not a straw that drains someone's pockets.

Gyeonggi Province offered an explanation regarding Governor Choo's remarks, stating that "they were meant to emphasize that local governments still bear most of the financial burden even though firefighters have transitioned to national civil servant status."

Following today's fire in Bucheon, the Korean Government Employees' Union Firefighters' Headquarters issued another statement, demanding that Governor Choo "apologize on your knees," asking, "Can you still say 'fiscal straw' even after seeing fallen firefighters?"

The People Power Party also criticized the remarks, saying they downplayed the dedication of firefighters.

[Chung Hee-yong / People Power Party Secretary General: "Do you view the dedication of firefighters, who protect the lives and safety of our citizens, as mere burdens that drain public finances?"]

The Democratic Party, to which Governor Choo belongs, released a commentary stating, "We offer our sincere apologies to the fire officials and their families who were hurt by the expressions used by Governor Choo."

(Video by Oh Young-chun, Shin Dong-hwan, Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by Jeon Min-gyu | Graphics by Yang Ki-tae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.