SUWON — Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae met with firefighters' union representatives on the 20th and apologized once more over her remark describing fire services as a "fiscal straw."
At a meeting in her office at the provincial government building that afternoon, Choo told six representatives of the Korean Government Employees' Union, including Fire Service Headquarters Chief Kwon Young-gak, "I sincerely apologize to firefighters who must have been deeply hurt by my poor choice of words."
Choo drew criticism for disparaging front-line firefighters at an Oct. 13 parliamentary audit of Gyeonggi Province by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, where she said fire services "seem like the most troublesome fiscal straw" while explaining the burden of firefighter payroll costs. She faced further criticism as inappropriate when, visiting a memorial altar after a firefighter died in a factory fire in Bucheon on the 16th, she said during her apology, "Since you want an apology, I apologize." At an Oct. 19 parliamentary audit of the province by the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, Choo apologized three times in an effort to calm public anger.
Explaining the delay in apologizing to firefighters in person, Choo said, "During the parliamentary audit, I was trying to highlight the problem that an excessive share of the fire service funding burden remains with local governments even after firefighters became national civil servants." She added, "I was frustrated that if the issue were papered over with an apology alone, the structural problems in fire service funding would not draw public attention."
Still, Choo bowed again, saying, "In that process, my words could have hurt front-line firefighters," and, "If I caused you hurt, I am truly sorry." Referring to the late Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty, she pledged, "I will make sure his sacrifice was not in vain."
On fire service funding, Choo said, "Budgets for fire services and road safety are the most basic of basics," adding, "I said to avoid touching the fire service budget as much as possible." She noted, however, that the structure of the funding burden between the central and local governments has not improved, and mentioned the need to expand the fire and safety grant tax and to find alternative revenue sources.
The union accepted Choo's apology but called for improvements on the ground. One union representative said, "Until now, the apologies appeared directed at the media and politicians, and there was no apology to front-line firefighters," adding, "We hope this apology leads to resolving the hardships in the field."
The union also raised the issue of staff shortages and poor working conditions in the Gyeonggi fire service. It pointed to a shortage of personnel to operate equipment rather than a shortage of equipment itself, the problem of two-member ambulance crews in some areas, and long working hours under a three-shift rotation. It also cited cases in which office staff pay for overtime meals and training meals out of their own pockets.
Union representatives said, "Funding problems lead to problems with staffing and workload," and demanded that "Gyeonggi Province must thoroughly review its organization and its field operations." Choo said she would work with them on expanding fire service funding and improving conditions in the field.