Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party, reiterated his apology regarding Boo Seung-chan's comment that firefighters "really suck up finances" during a recent meeting. He stated, "Words and actions must carry weight."
On October 20, Kim appeared on the party's YouTube channel, Minty 07, where he addressed Boo's remarks, saying, "I apologize once again. Not just myself, but the entire party must ensure that our words and actions are serious."
Kim also explained the rationale behind issuing a stern warning to Boo and ordering an ethics investigation following the controversy that arose from Boo's comments the previous day.
He noted, "Regardless of the context, I felt that the public would find it uncomfortable. I believed it was necessary for the party to quickly announce its position on the remarks. In that sense, I ordered the investigation by my authority as party leader."
Earlier, during a National Assembly audit of Gyeonggi Province, Boo defended Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae, stating, "Even though firefighters are national employees, about 90% of their budget is borne by local governments, so isn't this really sucking up finances?" This comment sparked controversy.
The People Power Party responded, saying, "Given that a firefighter's funeral was held, such remarks should never have been made." In response, Boo clarified, "I was questioning whether the National Assembly has no responsibility since firefighters have been elevated to national status," but the People Power Party members continued to demand an apology, leading to a temporary suspension of the audit.
Subsequently, the Democratic Party announced that Kim had directly ordered a stern warning and an ethics investigation regarding Boo's comments.
The party stated, "Kim issued a stern warning regarding Boo's remarks about firefighting during the audit and also ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding those remarks by the central party's ethics committee."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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