Opposition calls on Choo Mi-ae to resign over 'coerced apology'

Opposition parties hit back at Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae on Sunday over a string of remarks about firefighters, saying she had been "pushed into apologizing" and should resign.

Choo drew criticism after visiting the funeral home of Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty in a Bucheon factory fire, and saying Saturday, "Since you want an apology, I apologize." The remarks came less than a week after she told a National Assembly audit session Wednesday that firefighters felt like "the biggest headache — like a fiscal straw" when discussing local government finances and fire department budgets, sparking a second controversy within days.

People Power Party Chairman Jang Dong-hyeok wrote on Facebook that the apology was "a coerced one, dragged out five days later," adding that Choo was "arrogant to the end." He said she had "abandoned provincial governance to chase central politics" and had cut children's meal support and teachers' subsidies.

Jang said Choo had "moved into a 1.2 billion won ($890,000) official residence and bought a new car," calling her "the real fiscal straw" and demanding she step down. "The anger of Gyeonggi residents is through the roof," he said. "Since you want a resignation, resign."

PPP Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik, speaking to reporters after a press briefing Sunday morning, said using "such an extreme term as 'fiscal straw' to belittle the noble spirit of sacrifice shown by fire civil servants is a statement no citizen can tolerate."

Jeong added that Choo's phrasing — "I'm apologizing because I was told to" — showed she had no genuine intent to apologize. "An apology made because someone else told you to is not a real apology," he said. "A true apology comes from reflecting on how much your words damaged the pride of fire civil servants."

PPP floor spokesperson Choi Su-jin also issued a statement Sunday, calling Choo's apology "mere words" and "a second act of harm against the bereaved family and the public." Choi said it was "no more than a coerced apology wrung out by worsening public opinion and pressure from party leadership," and that Choo "could not shed her arrogant attitude even in the moment of apologizing."

Choi said Choo's explanation that her remarks had been "conveyed differently from what was intended" amounted to "blame-shifting dressed up as an apology," adding that what Choo should do now is "not hide behind excuses but sincerely and deeply reflect before the uniformed heroes and the public."

PPP Chief Spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon also said in a statement that Choo had "led with excuses — saying her intent was misunderstood and that it was a slip of expression — even while apologizing," and expressed regret that Choo had not responded to earlier calls for an apology until after visiting the fallen firefighter's funeral home.

Choi Bo-yoon said residents were left frustrated watching Choo "turn firefighters into a burden because of fiscal difficulties, then apologize belatedly once the controversy grew." She asked whether Choo, "far from solving the problem, has become the problem herself — is this what Choo-style governance looks like?"

Choi Bo-yoon urged Choo to "stop hiding behind excuses and show a sincere apology and a sense of responsibility for her remarks."

Five-term lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun also wrote on Facebook that "the sacrifice of uniformed heroes who protect the lives of the people cannot be measured on a profit-and-loss sheet." He noted that Gyeonggi Province's budget exceeds 42 trillion won ($31.1 billion), making the 100 million won set aside for a memorial project for the fallen firefighter just about 0.00024 percent of the total.

"The duty of a political leader is not to calculate that sacrifice as a cost, but to fulfill the responsibility the state must bear," Yoon said, questioning whether saying "I'm apologizing because I was asked to" reflected genuine remorse.

Reform Party Chief Spokesperson Lee Dong-hoon also issued a statement Sunday, saying Choo had shown "more concern for her pride than for acknowledging wrongdoing, even while apologizing," and that "her attitude toward apologizing to the public is no different from her attitude toward spending taxpayers' money."

Lee said Choo had pursued expenditure restructuring citing fiscal difficulties, yet moved into a "jeonse" official residence — a Korean lease arrangement — worth around 1.2 billion won and purchased a new official vehicle worth around 70 million won. He asked: "Is an apology something you give only because the public wants it, and is austerity something only residents must practice?"