Democratic Party leader asked Gyeonggi governor to apologise over fire service remark
In short
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok said on 19 October that the party had asked Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae to apologise for calling the fire service a fiscal "straw". He said the priority now was to do what it can until the public's feelings ease. Calls for disciplining Choo continue, and outlets report that a decision is unclear.
Read the full story 3 min read
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok said on 19 October that the party had asked Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae to apologise over her remark about the fire service. Speaking on the party's YouTube channel, he said the party made the request in various ways and had formally asked early on for an official apology. He said the priority now was to read the public's feelings well and make every effort until they ease. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 ]
The remark came on 13 October at a National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee audit of Gyeonggi Province, where Choo said the fire service was "like the biggest, troublesome fiscal straw". Newsis reported she was answering a question from People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Young-jin and added that the national share should be raised because the fire service had become a national-government service. On 17 October Choo visited the funeral altar of firefighter Kim Jin-seok, who died on duty in a factory fire in Bucheon, and said that if her remark was conveyed differently from her intent she expressed deep regret, and that since an apology was wanted she apologised with all her heart. [ 5 , 6 , 8 , 10 , 13 ]
Her wording drew fresh criticism. Jung Jeom-sik, floor leader of the People Power Party, said it was not a genuine apology. Before Choo spoke, Kim Min-seok had issued a notice on 17 October apologising on the party's behalf to firefighters and the public hurt by the governor's remark, and said measures would follow after deliberation to prevent inappropriate remarks by party officials from recurring. Party spokesperson Lee Yong-woo had also issued a comment expressing apology. Kim said the party judged it should apologise because Choo was a public official from its ranks. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 10 , 11 ]
Calls for discipline have come from inside and outside the party, but Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that action was uncertain. Seoul Economic Daily cited demands on the party members' board, and Maeil Business said Kim avoided a direct answer on expulsion or other discipline. Newsis reported that after a closed-door Supreme Council meeting on 19 October, spokesperson Cho Gye-won said Kim told leaders to focus on comforting the public and on legal, institutional and financial improvements, leaving Choo's case for later. Spokesperson Shin Hyun-young said the party would try to keep discipline from becoming too political an issue. [ 1 , 2 , 9 , 10 , 13 ]
On 20 October Jung Jeom-sik said the Democratic Party should impose the highest-level discipline on Choo and on party lawmaker Boo Seung-chan, who he said had remarked at the audit that fire service budgets were sucking up finances. He also accused Kim of bullying firefighters, citing a visit to a Gangseo fire station at 5 am and Kim's vehicle parking in an emergency-patient space at the funeral, and said his People Power Party would form a task force and strengthen the fire service budget. [ 14 ]
Kim also said the party would keep improving safety equipment and mental health support for firefighters. Separately, he said keeping cabinet meetings open to the public was irreversible in broad terms, after President Lee Jae-myung rebutted opposition to broadcasting them in a post on X on 18 October. [ 5 , 10 ]
Why it matters
The row has put the Democratic Party under pressure over how to respond to a governor from its own ranks. Outlets describe unease in the party and calls for discipline, while the leadership has so far not announced any action against Choo.
Key facts
- At a National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee audit of Gyeonggi Province on 13 October, Choo Mi-ae (추미애) said the fire service was "like the biggest, troublesome fiscal straw". [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- On 17 October Choo visited the funeral altar of firefighter Kim Jin-seok (김진석), who died on duty in a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, and apologised, but her wording drew further criticism. [ 5 , 6 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Kim Min-seok (김민석), leader of the Democratic Party, issued a notice on 17 October apologising on the party's behalf. [ 3 , 11 ]
- On 19 October Kim said on the party's YouTube channel that the party had asked Choo in various ways to apologise and had done so officially early on. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 ]
- Kim said the priority was to make every effort until the public's feelings ease. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Whether Choo will be disciplined remains unsettled, with Kyunghyang Shinmun describing the outlook as uncertain. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Choo made the "fiscal straw" remark about the fire service at the 13 October audit. [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Choo apologised on 17 October at the funeral altar of firefighter Kim Jin-seok, saying that if her remark was conveyed differently from her intent she expressed deep regret, and that since an apology was wanted she apologised with all her heart. [ 5 , 6 , 8 , 10 ]
- Kim Min-seok said on 19 October that the party had asked Choo in various ways to apologise. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 ]
- Kim Min-seok apologised on the party's behalf before Choo's own apology. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 11 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the party will discipline Choo. Kyunghyang Shinmun said discipline was uncertain, Maeil Business said Kim avoided a direct answer on expulsion or other discipline, and Newsis reported the leadership agreed to discuss Choo's case later.
- Jung Jeom-sik's accusations that Kim Min-seok bullied firefighters at the Gangseo fire station and parked in an emergency patient space. These claims come from the opposition floor leader's remarks alone; no other document confirms them.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- On 18 October, Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that the Democratic Party was troubled by Choo's repeated remarks and that discipline was uncertain. [ 1 ]
- On 18 October, Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that the Gyeonggi provincial party held an emergency meeting amid calls for discipline. [ 2 ]
- On 19 October, Yonhap reported Kim saying the party had asked Choo to apologise. [ 5 ]
- On 19 October, Newsis reported that after a closed-door Supreme Council meeting a spokesperson said Kim told leaders to focus on institutional and financial improvements, with Choo's case to be discussed later. [ 13 ]
- On 20 October, Jung Jeom-sik said the Democratic Party should impose the highest-level discipline on Choo and lawmaker Boo Seung-chan. [ 14 ]