Comedian Lee Sang-min sends 250 straws to Gyeonggi governor over 'fire department straw' remark

Comedian Lee Sang-min said he sent 250 straws to Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae in protest of her recent remark describing the fire department as a "fiscal straw" draining public funds. Lee had previously criticized Choo over the comment and said he found her subsequent apology unconvincing.

Lee posted on his SNS account Sunday that he had received a delivery confirmation for 250 straws, sharing a screenshot of an order listing the governor's office at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building as the delivery address.

"Although the straws couldn't make it all the way to Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae's door, I wanted to convey my anger as a fellow Gyeonggi resident," he wrote.

Earlier, Lee had announced his intention to send the straws, writing that Choo had called the fire department a "fiscal straw" and had refused to apologize despite widespread public criticism.

After Choo expressed regret, Lee said he briefly considered canceling the delivery but ultimately decided against it. "I considered rushing to cancel the delivery when I heard the apology, but it was hard to see it as a sincere one," he wrote, adding that the straws would arrive Monday.

The controversy began Tuesday, when Choo told a National Assembly audit of Gyeonggi Province by the Public Administration and Security Committee that the fire department was "the biggest headache — like a fiscal straw."

The remark came as she was explaining the province's fiscal structure, noting that although firefighters were transferred to national civil servant status in 2020, local governments still bear a significant share of personnel and operational costs.

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions-affiliated Korean Firefighters' Union pushed back, saying firefighters were "not a straw draining someone's pocket, but the last line of defense the public can rely on." The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions-affiliated National Public Service Workers' Union's fire department chapter also called for a formal apology, saying the remark demeaned the dedication of firefighting personnel.

Choo ultimately apologized Saturday, after visiting the funeral home at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital to pay her respects to the late Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty in a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.

"I had absolutely no intention of disparaging firefighters," Choo said. "If my words were conveyed differently from what I intended, I offer my deepest regrets and a heartfelt apology."

She added that the remark was a mistake made while discussing structural fiscal issues. "Looking at the full context, that was not my intent — the expression came from an earnest desire to appeal for better treatment for firefighters," she said.