A firefighters' union said Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae's description of the fire service as a "fiscal straw" was poorly worded but was aimed at the funding structure that leaves local governments covering costs for firefighters who are now state employees.
The Future Fire Service United Labor Union, made up entirely of firefighters, said in a statement on the 16th that "the word 'straw' itself was not an appropriate expression to use in explaining fire service budgets." The union added, "But the questions and answers in the full video of the parliamentary audit of Gyeonggi Province make the intent of the remark clear. It was pointing to a funding structure in which local governments bear a significant share of personnel and project costs even though firefighters have been converted to state employees."
Choo made the remark on the 13th during an audit by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, responding to a question on expanding fire service funding from Rep. Kwon Young-jin of the People Power Party. "The fire service seems like the biggest headache, a fiscal straw," she said. "Personnel costs alone will eat up 1.1 trillion won in 2027, and project costs come to about 500 billion won."
The Korea Firefighters Labor Union, affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, and the fire service headquarters of the Korean Government Employees' Union, affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, issued statements saying the remark "disparaged the dedication of firefighters" and demanded an apology.
As the controversy continued, Gyeonggi Province said the comment was "intended to stress the reality that local governments cover most of the related funding even after firefighters were converted to state employees, while the share of central government support is actually declining." It added, "Fire service work is essential work of the highest importance in protecting the lives, safety and property of citizens. We are deeply grateful for the hard work of Gyeonggi Province firefighters and will work to secure stable funding for the fire service."
Firefighters, previously local government employees, were converted to state employees in 2020 on grounds including the need to improve working conditions and equipment levels that varied widely by region. Yet most of the funding needed to run fire service organizations is still borne by metropolitan and provincial governments rather than the central government. In Gyeonggi Province, 926.5 billion won of the 1.5655 trillion won in total fire service funding comes from transfers from the province's general account.
The union said the remark "came in response to a lawmaker's point that central government support should be expanded, and was not intended to belittle firefighters' dedication or disparage fire service organizations." It added, "Defining it as an insult to all firefighters does not fit the context before and after the remark."
The union did, however, call for a reversal of Gyeonggi Province's decision to target for full elimination the 100 million won budget for the Gyeonggi Fire Service 119 Memorial Day, a program that honors firefighters killed in the line of duty and pays respect to their families.
"Event-type programs can be reorganized on the grounds of fiscal difficulty," the union said. "But the same standard should not be applied to commemorating fallen colleagues and honoring their families." It urged the province to restore the budget. "The Future Fire Service United Labor Union will also speak up for strengthening the state's responsibility for fire service funding and expanding central government support," it said. "Gyeonggi Province must also fulfill its responsibility. It must guarantee the funding needed to honor fallen firefighters and their families and to let firefighters on the front lines carry out their duties safely."