PPP lawmakers blast Choo Mi-ae over 'fiscal straw' remark about fire department

People Power Party lawmakers kept up sharp criticism Friday of Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae over her remark likening the fire department to a "fiscal straw" draining provincial finances. Choo made the comment Tuesday during a question-and-answer session at a National Assembly audit of Gyeonggi Province conducted by the House Administration and Security Committee.

Jung Hee-yong, the PPP's secretary-general, attended a party meeting on national audit strategy that day and urged Choo to act. "I ask Governor Choo to offer a sincere and immediate apology for remarks that have wounded the honor of firefighters, and to take responsible steps to secure stable funding for the fire department budget," he said.

Jung cited recent tragedies to make his case. "Last November, a firefighter who collapsed while battling a blaze at an auto repair shop in Deokyang-gu, Goyang, ultimately died in the line of duty, and this past April two firefighters lost their lives at a frozen-warehouse fire in Wando, South Jeolla Province," he said. "Are firefighters who risk their lives on the scene to save the public really just a 'cost that eats into finances'?"

Fellow PPP lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun also weighed in on his Facebook page, calling Choo's remark "an irresponsible and reckless statement that wounds the dedication and self-respect of fire service personnel."

"No matter how tight finances may be, how can anyone compare the fire department budget — which protects people's lives — to a fiscal straw?" Yoon said. "The fire department budget is not a headache to be cut; it is an essential budget for protecting the lives and safety of Gyeonggi residents."

Yoon also raised the controversy over Choo's use of a jeonse-funded official residence and the replacement of her official vehicle. "She applies a strict standard to welfare spending for residents and operational expenses for staff, yet is generous when it comes to the governor's official residence and car," he said. "She says her residence is by the rules, but calls fire department personnel costs a fiscal straw."

"The standing to declare a fiscal emergency comes not from demanding sacrifice from residents, but from the governor showing restraint herself first," he said.

PPP lawmaker Park Soo-young also took to Facebook on Thursday to criticize Choo. "There are three uniformed organizations that protect the nation: the fire service, the police and the military," Park wrote. "Although some politically minded soldiers and police officers try to undermine their organizations, the fire service at least does not have such high-ranking figures doing that."

Park added that "the state must do its utmost to support the three uniformed organizations so they can do their jobs well," and said Choo's remarks showed "a lack of understanding of what the state is as an institution — an admission that she falls short as a political leader."