Firefighter labor unions affiliated with the nation's two major umbrella labor organizations have raised strong objections to Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae's recent remark referring to the fire service budget as a "financial straw."

On the 15th, the Korean Fire Officials Union, affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), issued a statement expressing regret, stating that Governor Choo treated firefighters as a burden on local government finances.

The Korean Fire Union criticized, "The fire service is not a straw draining someone's pocket, but the ultimate protector upon whom the public can rely," adding, "While the government makes a show of converting firefighters into national public officials, it continues to pass the burden of labor costs onto local governments."

Kim Gil-jung, head of the Korean Fire Union, urged, "The malformed budget structure must be improved, such as by covering all firefighter labor costs with the national budget."

The previous day, the Fire Headquarters of the Korean Government Employees' Union (KGEU), affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), issued a statement demanding a formal apology, claiming that Governor Choo's remark disparaged the dedication of firefighters.

The KGEU Fire Headquarters urged, "Firefighters are not a 'straw' draining Gyeonggi Province's finances, but the last line of defense protecting the lives and property of provincial residents," adding, "Governor Choo must immediately apologize to the 70,000 firefighters nationwide."

Park Jin-gyu, head of the KGEU Gyeonggi Fire Chapter, said, "Gyeonggi Province has the highest demand for firefighting and dispatch operations in the country, so it is only natural that it requires a large budget," adding, "It is absurd and disappointing to use such an expression while firefighters are quietly working under difficult conditions."

He continued, "Due to budget shortages, many places cannot even support evening meal costs, and some operate two-person ambulances due to staff shortages," pointing out, "As a governor, she should have first explained the hard work of firefighters and demanded expanded national financial support."

Meanwhile, the Mirae Fire Union, an independent labor union, expressed sympathy for the need to improve the fire finance structure while understanding the intent behind Governor Choo's remarks.

Jung Yong-woo, head of the Mirae Fire Union, emphasized, "While the expression 'straw' itself was inappropriate, it is understood as pointing out the lack of central government financial support for the fire service," adding, "As firefighting is directly linked to public life and safety, fundamental institutional improvements are needed, such as increasing the proportion of national financial support or expanding local government financial resources."

Previously, Governor Choo sparked controversy during the parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government complex on the 13th, when she remarked regarding the fire budget, "It seems like the fire service is the most troublesome financial straw."

At the time, Governor Choo made the remarks while explaining that although firefighters were converted to national public officials in 2020, local governments still bear a significant portion of the budget, including labor costs and project expenses.

In response to the backlash, Gyeonggi Province clarified that the remark was not intended to belittle firefighters, but rather to emphasize the burden on local government finances.

A provincial official stated, "The remark was intended to emphasize that even though firefighters were converted to national public officials, local governments still shoulder most of the related financing while the ratio of national government support is actually decreasing," adding, "We deeply appreciate the hard work of Gyeonggi Province firefighters and will strive to secure stable fire financing."

(Photo: Yonhap News)