'As you want an apology, I apologize': Gyeonggi governor's comment on firefighting fuels criticism

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae faced criticism in Gyeonggi Province after remarks about firefighting personnel costs and a firefighter’s death following a factory blaze. She said firefighting was like a straw sucking up provincial finances during a National Assembly audit on Tuesday. After firefighter Kim Jin-seok died Saturday, Choo apologized, but opposition lawmakers and some members of her own party questioned the sincerity of her response.

Choo made the remarks while discussing the fact that local governments still pay firefighters’ salaries even though firefighters are national government employees.

Six firefighters were injured while battling a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, and Kim Jin-seok later died.

Kim was dispatched to the fire roughly 20 minutes before his shift was due to end.

The Democratic Party of Korea apologized on Choo’s behalf before she issued her own apology.

Democratic Party leaders apologized, while some party members collected online signatures calling for disciplinary action against Choo.

Published Oct 18, 2026 4:13 pm KST

Choo faces growing backlash over remarks disparaging firefighting, insincere apology

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae speaks to reporters at a hospital in Gyeonggi Province, Saturday, after paying her respects to firefighter Kim Jin-seok, who died earlier that day from injuries sustained battling a factory blaze. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae faces growing backlash over derogatory remarks portraying firefighting as a drain on provincial finances, with her subsequent apology drawing further criticism for lacking sincerity after a firefighter died battling a factory blaze in a city in the province.

Choo’s repeated attempts to explain her intentions have only backfired as they were seen as lacking sincerity, with the opposition demanding a clearer apology and some members of her own party urging a disciplinary measure against her.

The controversy began on Tuesday during a National Assembly audit of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, when Choo mentioned the burden of firefighters’ personnel costs on local finances.

“Firefighting seems to be the biggest headache, like a straw sucking up our finances,” she said, seeking to highlight that local governments still have to pay firefighters’ salaries even though they are now national government employees.

But her analogy sparked anger for appearing to treat people who risk their lives to protect the public as a budgetary burden.

Amid the row, six firefighters were injured Friday while battling a factory blaze in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. Choo visited the site after the fire was extinguished, but firefighters, angry at her "straw" remarks, turned their backs on her.

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae, left, remains silent as a firefighter turns his back on her after his colleagues were injured in a factory blaze in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Earlier that week, Choo made remarks describing firefighting as a "straw" sucking up the province's finances. Yonhap

Until then, Choo remained silent on calls for an apology, and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), to which she belongs, apologized instead. This only drew further criticism from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), which slammed the DPK for apologizing on her behalf rather than requiring the governor to take responsibility herself.

The criticism intensified as one of the injured firefighters, Kim Jin-seok, died early Saturday. Kim was dispatched to the fire roughly 20 minutes before his shift was due to end.

Choo visited Kim’s memorial altar that afternoon, where firefighters and mourners demanded that she apologize before entering and questioned whether her visit was merely for show.

Speaking to reporters after paying her respects, Choo expressed regret that her remarks had been understood differently from her intention.

“As you want an apology, I apologize,” she said, reiterating that she had not intended to disparage firefighters.

These remarks prompted even stronger criticism that she was responding to pressure rather than acknowledging that her original remarks had caused offense.

Choo later issued a separate apology on Facebook, saying she had never intended to belittle firefighters’ dedication and was sincerely sorry to those hurt by her words.

The apology was insufficient to quell criticism of her. The PPP accused her of putting her own sense of grievance ahead of remorse.

PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig questioned whether Choo’s response at the memorial showed any willingness to apologize. “An apology offered because others demanded it could hardly be considered sincere,” he told reporters Sunday.

Jeong urged her to reflect on how her language had damaged firefighters’ pride, especially given their willingness to sacrifice their lives to protect others.

Rep. Choi Bo-yun, spokesperson for the PPP, said, "Even when making an apology, she focused on excuses, saying 'it was not her intention' and 'a mistake in expression' ... She is not solving troubles of the province, and she herself has caused trouble for the province."

In response to the backlash, DPK leaders continued to apologize, with party Chairman Kim Min-seok issuing a statement apologizing to firefighters and the public who were hurt by the governor's remarks. President Lee Jae Myung also paid his tribute to the firefighter who died, visiting the memorial altar on Saturday evening.

“Rather than explaining that she meant something else, Gov. Choo should have first offered a sincere apology to those hurt by her words,” DPK lawmaker and former Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho wrote on social media.

Some party members are even calling on the party to take disciplinary action against her, collecting signatures online.

京畿道知事秋美爱因就消防人员开支和一名消防员在工厂火灾中殉职发表的言论，在京畿道国内引发批评。周二，她在国会接受审计时表示，消防支出如同吸管一般，不断吸走地方财政资金。周六消防员金镇锡殉职后，秋美爱公开道歉，但反对党议员和她所在政党的部分成员质疑其道歉的诚意。

Choo是在讨论消防员虽然是国家政府雇员，但地方政府仍然支付消防员工资这一事实时发表上述言论的。

在京畿道富川市扑救工厂火灾时，六名消防员受伤，金镇锡随后不幸殉职。

金在下班前大约 20 分钟被派往火灾现场。

在秋美珍本人道歉之前，韩国民主党代表她向她道歉。

民主党领导人道歉，一些党员在网上收集签名，呼吁对秋美贤采取纪律处分。

发布于2026年10月18日下午4:13（韩国标准时间）

秋美贤因发表贬低消防员的言论和缺乏诚意的道歉而面临越来越大的舆论压力。

京畿道知事秋美爱周六在京畿道一家医院向记者发表讲话。此前，她前往医院悼念当天早些时候在扑救工厂火灾中受伤殉职的消防员金镇锡。图片由京畿道政府提供。

京畿道知事秋美爱因发表贬损言论而面临越来越大的反弹，这些言论将消防工作描述为消耗省财政的负担。在一名消防员在该省某市​​扑灭工厂火灾时殉职后，秋美爱的道歉因缺乏诚意而受到进一步批评。

秋美珍多次试图解释自己的意图，但都适得其反，因为这些解释被认为缺乏诚意，反对派要求她做出更明确的道歉，而她所在政党的一些成员也敦促对她采取纪律处分。

这场争议始于周二，当时国会正在对京畿道政府进行审计，秋明治提到了消防员人员成本对地方财政的负担。

“消防似乎是最大的难题，就像一根吸管吸走了我们的财政资金，”她说道，并试图强调，尽管消防员现在是国家政府雇员，但地方政府仍然需要支付他们的工资。

但她的类比引发了众怒，因为这似乎将那些冒着生命危险保护公众的人视为预算负担。

在这场争论中，周五京畿道富川市一家工厂发生火灾，六名消防员在灭火过程中受伤。火灾扑灭后，秋美贤前往现场，但消防员们对她“不负责任”的言论感到愤怒，纷纷背过身去。

京畿道知事秋美爱（左）在一名消防员于周五京畿道富川市一家工厂火灾中受伤后，保持沉默，而该消防员则背对着她。就在本周早些时候，秋美爱曾发表言论，称消防工作是吸干京畿道财政的“吸管”。（韩联社）

在此之前，秋美琴一直对道歉的呼声保持沉默，而她所属的执政党共同民主党则代为道歉。这反而招致了主要反对党国民力量党的进一步批评，该党抨击共同民主党替她道歉，而不是要求秋美琴本人承担责任。

周六凌晨，受伤消防员金镇锡（音译）不幸殉职，引发了更强烈的批评。金镇锡在下班前约20分钟被派往火灾现场。

当天下午，秋美贤前往金的追悼台，消防员和哀悼者要求她先道歉才能进入，并质疑她的到访是否只是作秀。

在向逝者致敬后，秋美贤对记者表示，她的言论被误解，与她的本意不符，对此她深感遗憾。

“既然你们想要道歉，那我就道歉，”她说道，并重申她无意贬低消防员。

这些言论引发了更强烈的批评，认为她是在迫于压力而做出回应，而不是承认她最初的言论冒犯了他人。

秋美智后来在脸书上单独发表了道歉声明，称她从未想过贬低消防员的奉献精神，并对被她的言论伤害的人表示真诚的歉意。

道歉不足以平息对她的批评。人民进步党指责她将个人的委屈置于悔恨之上。

人民力量党党团领袖郑严实质疑秋美智在追悼会上的回应是否表现出任何道歉的意愿。他周日对记者说：“仅仅因为别人要求才道歉，很难称得上是真诚的。”

郑女士敦促她反思自己的言语是如何伤害了消防员的自尊心，尤其考虑到他们愿意牺牲生命来保护他人。

人民进步党发言人崔宝云议员表示：“即使在道歉时，她也只顾找借口，说‘这不是她的本意’和‘表达错误’……她没有解决省里的问题，反而给省里带来了麻烦。”

面对舆论压力，共同民主党领导人持续道歉，党主席金珉锡发表声明，向因知事言论而受到伤害的消防员和民众致歉。李在明总统也于周六晚间前往悼念台，向殉职消防员致敬。

“与其解释自己另有所指，秋美贤知事更应该首先向被她言论伤害的人真诚道歉，” 朝鲜民主主义人民党议员、前法务部长官郑成浩在社交媒体上写道。

一些党员甚至呼吁党对她采取纪律处分，并在网上收集签名。