Firefighter unions demand apology over Gyeonggi governor's budget remarks
In short
South Korean firefighter unions demanded an apology from Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae (추미애) over remarks likening fire services to a drain on provincial finances. The province said she meant to highlight local governments' funding burden despite firefighters' national civil-service status.
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Firefighter unions in South Korea called on Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae (추미애) to apologize after she described fire services as a troublesome drain on public finances during a parliamentary audit. Gyeonggi Province said the remarks were intended to criticize the financing system rather than disparage firefighters. [ 1 , 3 , 9 , 11 ]
Choo made the comments at the provincial government offices on October 13 while answering questions about Gyeonggi's finances. She cited projected 2027 firefighter personnel costs of 1.1 trillion won and operating costs of about 500 billion won. The remarks came during discussion of increasing the national government's share of fire-service funding. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The firefighting division of the Korean Government Employees' Union issued a statement on October 14 demanding an immediate, sincere apology. It said the language treated firefighters who protect lives and property as wasteful spending or a financial burden. The union argued that personnel and operating costs were essential expenses directly connected to public safety. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Another firefighter union affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions criticized the remarks on October 15. Yonhap reported that it called for the national government to cover all firefighter personnel costs. An independent firefighter union said the wording was inappropriate but understood Choo's point about insufficient central support and also urged changes to the financing structure. [ 5 , 9 ]
The province said local governments continued to fund most fire-service costs even after firefighters became national civil servants, while the national funding share was declining. It thanked firefighters and pledged to seek stable resources. Newsis reported that the People Power Party group in the Gyeonggi provincial assembly also demanded an apology in an October 15 statement. [ 1 , 3 , 9 , 11 , 12 ]
Why it matters
The dispute centers on how central and local governments share fire-service costs. Unions said staffing and operating budgets were essential safety spending and called for more national funding.
Key facts
- Choo made the disputed remarks during an October 13 parliamentary audit of Gyeonggi Province. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 9 , 11 ]
- The Korean Government Employees' Union firefighting division demanded an apology on October 14. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 ]
- Gyeonggi said the remarks targeted the funding structure, not firefighters. [ 1 , 3 , 9 ]