Civic Group Files Complaint with Serious Crimes Investigation Agency over Chu Mi-ae’s “Fire Service Is the Biggest Drain on Public Finances” Remark

[Financial News] A civic group has filed a complaint with the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) against Gyeonggi Province Governor Chu Mi-ae, accusing her of abuse of authority and other offenses over her remark that fire service-related spending “seems like the biggest, most troublesome drain on public finances.”
According to legal circles on the 19th, the People’s Livelihood Countermeasures Committee (Seominwi; Secretary-General Kim Sun-hwan), a civic group, filed a complaint against Governor Chu with the agency that day, alleging abuse of authority, obstruction of business, defamation and other offenses.
Seominwi took issue with remarks Governor Chu made during a parliamentary audit on the 13th. Referring to the budget for fire service personnel, Chu said, “Personnel costs are around 1.1 trillion won, so the fire service seems like the biggest, most troublesome drain on public finances.”
In its complaint, Seominwi argued that the remarks constituted abuse of authority, obstruction of business, defamation and other offenses, saying, “Regardless of any explanations or excuses, these morally outrageous remarks shook even the identity and values of the people and around 13.73 million Gyeonggi residents.”
Seominwi also cited as grounds for the complaint Chu’s remark to reporters on the 17th, after she paid her respects at the funeral hall for the late Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty in a factory fire in Bucheon: “Since you want an apology, I apologize.”
Seominwi argued that the remark constituted defamation and other offenses, saying it “deeply wounded the pride and self-respect of fire service personnel.”
 
[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter