A controversy has erupted over a vehicle that carried Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok parking in a space reserved for emergency patients during his visit to the wake of fire lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who died battling a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The vehicle turned out to belong not to Kim Min-seok but to Rep. Kim Tae-sun, his chief of staff, who apologized, saying, "I sincerely apologize for causing concern."
KBS reported on the 19th that the vehicle was parked in an emergency-patient-only parking area on the 18th, when Kim Min-seok visited the funeral hall at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, where the fire lieutenant's wake was held. The vehicle from which Kim stepped out was parked in the space closest to the entrance of the parking lot, and a sign reading "Emergency Patient Parking Notice" stood directly behind it. The sign stated that the area was reserved for emergency patients and that outpatients and inpatients were prohibited from parking there. The vehicle remained in the space for about 30 minutes.
After the report triggered criticism, Kim Min-seok's side pushed back, saying the vehicle was not owned by the party leader and that the article contained inaccuracies and exaggerated descriptions. His side also disclosed that it had filed a complaint with the Press Arbitration Commission.
Rep. Kim Tae-sun addressed the same matter on Facebook and apologized. "The vehicle parked in the emergency patient parking area during the condolence visit was from my office," the lawmaker said. "It was my fault, and there is no excuse for it under any circumstances." The lawmaker added, "I sincerely apologize to the public for causing concern, and I will take particular care to ensure this never happens again."
Meanwhile, at a Supreme Council meeting earlier that day, Kim Min-seok again offered condolences for the fire lieutenant and pledged to improve working conditions for firefighters, saying, "Heroes must be treated in a manner befitting them."