Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae apologises again to firefighters at parliamentary audit

Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae apologised again to firefighters on 19 October at the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's audit of the province, held at the Gyeonggi provincial office, Yonhap and other outlets reported. In her opening remarks she said: 'I sincerely apologise to the firefighters who were hurt by my recent remarks.' She also said she regarded firefighters' dedication as weighing heavily, and would look more carefully at their safety and treatment. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 13 ]

Kim Jong-yang of the People Power Party later questioned her. Kim said she had held out until a firefighter died and then apologised at the funeral altar, and he said he doubted the apology was sincere. He called the phrase 'I apologise because you told me to' secondary harm. Choo said she had already apologised in her opening remarks and repeated that she sincerely apologised, and when Kim asked whether she had heard him, she said she was listening. Kyunghyang Shinmun, Seoul Economic Daily and Dong-A Ilbo carried her reply. [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]

The dispute began on 13 October, when Choo told the Public Administration and Security Committee audit that fire services were 'like the biggest, most troublesome fiscal straw'. Newsis reported she also said the national share of costs should be raised because fire personnel had been converted to national-government status. Fire service unions and others protested, according to Seoul Economic Daily and Maeil Business. [ 3 , 5 , 11 , 13 ]

A fire at a factory in Bucheon on 16 October killed firefighter Kim Jin-seok, who died at 00:55 on 17 October. Maeil Business reported eight casualties in all. On 17 October Choo visited his funeral altar and said, 'if it was conveyed differently from my intent, I express deep regret, and since you want an apology, I apologise with all my heart.' The phrase 'since you want an apology' drew a new round of criticism. [ 4 , 10 , 11 , 13 ]

On the morning of 19 October Choo attended Kim's funeral at the Bucheon gymnasium, and the audit was postponed from 10:00 to 13:00 for this reason. Maeil Business reported that the province was holding the funeral as a Gyeonggi provincial funeral, seeking a one-rank special promotion and the Okjo Geunjeong decoration (옥조근정훈장), and processing his designation as a person of national merit. [ 3 , 11 ]

Newsis reported on 20 October that frontline firefighters in the province remained cold toward the apology; an anonymous firefighter said morale had dropped. The same day the People Power Party group in the Gyeonggi council called the remark an insult and said the apology lacked sincerity. Chosun Ilbo reported that Democratic Party lawmaker Boo Seung-chan defended Choo on 19 October by asking whether fire budgets were really 'sucking' local finances, and that party leader Kim Min-seok gave him a strict warning. [ 22 , 23 , 24 ]