SUWON — Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, under fire over a remark describing firefighting as a "budget drain" — literally a "fiscal straw" in Korean — apologized again to firefighters at a parliamentary audit on the 19th.
In opening remarks at the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's audit of Gyeonggi Province, held that afternoon at the provincial government's Yulgok Hall, Choo said, "I sincerely apologize to all the firefighters who were hurt by my recent remarks."
"I weigh firefighters' dedication more heavily than anyone. I will look after their safety and working conditions with greater care," she said, promising, "I will also listen humbly to what the committee members have to say at today's audit."
Choo, who said she had just returned from the funeral of firefighter Kim Jin-seok held in Bucheon that morning, said, "I feel truly heartbroken. I offer my deep condolences and words of comfort once again to the bereaved family and to the firefighting community."
Choo, who wore a mourning ribbon and kept a grim expression throughout the audit, apologized again when Rep. Kim Jong-yang of the People Power Party pressed her for a sincere apology, saying, "Once again, I sincerely apologize to the firefighters who were hurt."
At an audit of Gyeonggi Province by the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee on the 13th, Choo had referred to local governments bearing budget costs for firefighters, who are national civil servants, while discussing local fiscal strains, and said, "Firefighting seems like the biggest headache, like a straw draining our budget." The comment drew little attention on the day of the audit, but the controversy grew as the firefighters' union and others issued a string of statements in protest.
The uproar then spread beyond control after a firefighter died in the line of duty in a factory fire in Bucheon on the 16th. A separate controversy flared over the wording of her apology when Choo, visiting the site on the 17th, told reporters, "Since you want an apology, I apologize with all my heart."