(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kwon Hee-won = On the 18th, the opposition party fiercely attacked Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae's statement, "I apologize because you want an apology," after paying condolences at the funeral of the late Kim Jin-seok, who died in a Bucheon factory fire the day before, saying, "It cannot be considered a true apology."
Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook on this day, “This is an apology that was pushed aside five days after saying, ‘I apologize because you want an apology.’ Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae is arrogant to the end.”
At the same time, he criticized, saying, "Is this all there is to apologize for? They abandoned the provincial administration and are more busy with central politics. They took away children's meal expenses and even cut teachers' subsidies."
Representative Jang said, "That's right, I went into an official residence worth 1.2 billion won and bought a new car. The real 'financial straw' is Choo Mi-ae herself," and pointed out, "The anger of the people of Gyeonggi Province is sky-high. They want me to 'resign,' so I should 'resign.'"
Floor leader Jeong Jeong-sik met with reporters after the press conference this morning and criticized, "I believe that denigrating the noble spirit of sacrifice of firefighters with the extreme term 'fiscal straw' is a statement that cannot be tolerated as a citizen."
He continued, "Yesterday, when he apologized, he said, 'I apologize because they told me to apologize,' doesn't that mean that he doesn't have the sincerity to apologize? Apologizing because someone else told him to do it cannot be considered a true apology. A true apology is when you think for yourself and reflect on how much your words and actions have damaged the pride of firefighters."
Chief Spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon said in a comment that day, "Governor Chu, while apologizing, took the initiative to explain, saying 'it was delivered differently than intended' and 'it was a mistake in expression,'" and criticized, "It is also regrettable that he did not respond to the request for an apology earlier and only apologized after visiting the grave of the firefighter who died in the line of duty."
At the same time, he pointed out, "It is just frustrating for the residents who have to watch him turn firefighting into a headache due to financial difficulties and even apologize belatedly as the controversy grows. The governor, instead of solving the problem, has become a headache for the residents himself. Is this Chu Mi-ae's style of provincial governance?"
He then urged, “Don’t hide behind explanations anymore, but apologize sincerely for your remarks and show a responsible attitude.”
Five-term lawmaker Sang-hyeon Yoon also pointed out in a Facebook post, "The sacrifices of heroes in uniform who protect the lives of the people cannot be evaluated through a financial profit and loss statement. Gyeonggi Province's budget is over 42 trillion won. The 100 million won for the memorial project for fallen firefighters is only about 0.00024% of the total budget."
He continued, "The responsibility of a political leader is not to count the sacrifice as a cost, but to fulfill the responsibility that the nation deserves," and criticized, "Is the expression of an apology when asked to apologize truly an attitude of true remorse?"
Rep. Kim Jae-seop mentioned on Facebook that Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited Gangseo Fire Station in Seoul around 5 a.m. on the 30th of last month to encourage him, and pointed out, "Even firefighters who were supposed to be resting were called in at dawn and put on a political show. The government is busy trying to spend money, saying it has collected unprecedented tax revenue due to the semiconductor boom. Where is the firefighters' share in that large treasury?"
Lee Dong-hoon, chief spokesman for the New Reform Party, also issued a comment on the same day, criticizing Governor Chu, saying, "Even though he apologizes, he seems to be taking care of his pride first rather than admitting his mistakes." He added, "There is no difference between the attitude of apologizing to the people and the attitude of spending the taxpayers' money."
At the same time, he said, "Governor Chu pushed for a restructuring of expenditures due to financial difficulties. However, he actually moved into a leased official residence worth 1.2 billion won and purchased a new official car worth 70 million won." He asked, "Apologies are given because the people want them, and saving should only be done by the residents of the province."
Previously, on the 13th, Governor Chu mentioned the financial problems of local governments during the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee's audit of Gyeonggi Province's government affairs and caused controversy by saying, "Firefighting is like a financial straw that causes the biggest headaches," in relation to the budget for firefighters, a national service.
The afternoon before, after visiting Kim Fire Commissioner Kim's funeral at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital and paying his respects, controversy arose again when he said of these remarks, "I would like to express my deep regret if it was conveyed differently than I intended, and since you are asking for an apology, I sincerely apologize."
