Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok apologises over lawmaker's fire service remark

Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok apologised on 20 October for a remark by party lawmaker Boo Seung-chan about fire service finances. Appearing on the party's YouTube programme, Kim said: 'I apologise once again.' He added that it was not one person's problem and that, because many difficult things were happening to everyone including himself, it would be better to be more measured in word and deed. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]

Boo had spoken the day before at the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee audit of Gyeonggi Province. Defending Gyeonggi governor Chu Mi-ae's 'fire service finance straw' remark, he said she had made a big mistake but had apologised enough. He then said that although firefighters are national civil servants, local governments bear about 90% of the budget, so the service was 'really sucking the finances'. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]

Kim had already given Boo a stern warning on 19 October and ordered an investigation on the party's own authority. He said that whatever the context, he thought the remark would feel uncomfortable to the public and that the party needed to take a position quickly. Most outlets say the investigation was ordered to the party's ethics inspection unit, while Dong-A Ilbo says it was the central party ethics tribunal. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]

Chosun Ilbo noted that Kim had also apologised on 17 October after Chu's remark became controversial, saying he apologised on behalf of the party to firefighters and the public. Kyunghyang Shinmun and Dong-A Ilbo interpreted Kim's words 'including myself' as a reference to his own controversies. Kyunghyang Shinmun said Kim visited the funeral hall of a firefighter who died fighting a factory fire in Bucheon, and that a vehicle of Kim's group was reported to have been parked in an emergency patient-only space at the hospital. It quoted Kim's chief of staff, Kim Tae-seon, as saying on Facebook that the vehicle belonged to their office. Dong-A Ilbo also cited a controversy over excessive protocol at a local festival. [ 2 , 5 , 7 ]

Kim also commented on remarks by US Forces Korea commander Javier Brunson that, from the UN Command's perspective, South Korea begins at the DMZ's southern fence. Kim called the expression 'very inappropriate' in terms of the constitution and its relation to treaties. Asked whether it reflected US intentions on an early transfer of wartime operational control, he said the US government had called it the commander's personal remark, so there was no need to see it that way. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]

Asked about Kim Yo Jong's warning on 19 October that North Korea would turn on loudspeakers aimed at the South, Kim Min-seok said South Korea's military and security capabilities were far stronger than in the past and its ties with neighbouring countries firm. He said there was no need for a 'fine-grained' response and that a consistent response would do. [ 1 , 4 , 7 ]