The Democratic Party announced that its leader, Min-seok Kim, issued a stern warning on October 19 during a National Assembly audit in Gyeonggi Province regarding comments made by lawmaker Busung-chan, who questioned whether the fire department was "really sucking up finances."
In a statement released that afternoon, the party explained, "Representative Kim issued a serious warning regarding the remarks made by Representative Bus during the audit. Additionally, he ordered the central party's ethics committee to conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding those comments."
During the National Assembly audit held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office, Busung-chan stated, "While Governor Chu's comments about the fire department were indeed a significant mistake, he has sufficiently apologized. However, is the fire department really sucking up finances?" This remark sparked controversy.
Busung-chan pointed out that "the fire department, despite being a national responsibility, has about 90% of its personnel and support costs borne by local governments, which raises the question of whether it is truly consuming finances. We cannot simply criticize without providing a national-level solution."
He further emphasized the need for Gyeonggi Province to provide adequate explanations and efforts regarding this issue, acknowledging that there were mistakes.
In response, Kim Eun-hye, a member of the People Power Party, remarked, "There were inappropriate comments made by the governor, and a memorial service for firefighters was held today. The statement that 'the fire department is sucking up finances' should never have been made in this context. I demand an apology to the public and the firefighters."
Busung-chan countered, stating, "This appears to be an attempt to politicize the issue. Look at the context of my remarks. I was questioning whether the National Assembly bears no responsibility after the fire department was elevated to a national position," leading to a heated exchange that temporarily halted the audit.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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