“Firefighting seems to be the biggest financial drain.”
Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae made this remark during a National Assembly audit on October 13, expressing concerns about local financial difficulties. She added, "Personnel costs alone will consume 1.1 trillion won by 2027." This statement drew criticism for equating the dedication of firefighters, who risk their lives battling flames, with a 'waste of financial resources.'
Following the backlash, Governor Choo issued an apology. However, just three days later, on October 16, a tragic incident occurred when firefighter Kim Jin-seok lost his life while responding to a factory fire in Bucheon, intensifying criticism against her.
It is unacceptable to characterize firefighters, who protect lives, as mere financial burdens.
Nonetheless, it is essential to examine the structural issues surrounding firefighting finances and the realities faced by current firefighters.
We fact-checked three related issues.
In April 2020, the status of firefighters was transitioned from local to national. This change aimed to address disparities in firefighting services based on regional financial conditions and to ensure that the government would be responsible for the treatment and safety of firefighters. Consequently, the national firefighting budget surged from 5.5 trillion won in 2019 to 8.1 trillion won in 2025.
The problem is that local governments still bear the burden of this increased funding. On October 20, Gyeonggi Province reported that "only 10.7% of the national firefighting budget of 8.5967 trillion won in 2026 comes from national funding."
When examining personnel costs alone, the situation is even more dire. This year, the total personnel costs for firefighters nationwide reached 6.5129 trillion won, with national funding (including firefighting safety grants) amounting to only 549.6 billion won, or a mere 8.4%. The remaining 91.6% must be covered entirely by local government general accounts.
In Gyeonggi Province, the situation is even worse. This year, personnel costs for firefighters reached 1.1973 trillion won (based on the second supplementary budget), but national support was only 92.1 billion won (7.7%). Over 1.1 trillion won in personnel costs is being shouldered by the local government.
In summary, while the transition to national status occurred, it has largely been a 'half-hearted transition' as the actual budget structure still relies heavily on local governments.
Some argue that since the transition to national status, the number of firefighters has significantly increased, potentially alleviating staffing shortages.
It is true that the absolute number of firefighters has increased. According to a report released in January by the National Assembly Legislative Research Service, the number of firefighters nationwide rose from 48,042 in 2017 to 66,802 in 2024, an increase of 18,760. Consequently, the population served by each firefighter decreased from 1,091 to 766 during the same period.
However, it is difficult to conclude that this increase in personnel has directly led to improved conditions or reduced burdens for frontline firefighters. The workload for frontline firefighters has surged at a much steeper rate than the increase in personnel.
According to the Fire Agency's annual statistics, the number of rescue operations rose dramatically from 756,987 in 2016 to 1,198,268 in 2025. Notably, the number of 'daily safety operations'—which include tasks such as removing beehives, opening doors in emergencies, capturing animals, and removing icicles—rose from 377,575 in 2016 to 585,188 in 2025.
Thus, while the number of personnel has increased, the demand for operations has skyrocketed, resulting in greater workloads and responsibilities for individual firefighters.
Amid complaints about financial burdens, Gyeonggi Province has faced criticism for cutting its own firefighting safety budget.
People Power Party spokesperson Choi Soo-jin criticized, "Governor Choo Mi-ae purchased a new official vehicle worth 70 million won while slashing budgets for replacing aging fire trucks and memorial services for fallen firefighters."
Indeed, a review of the '2026 Second Supplementary Budget' submitted by Gyeonggi Province to the provincial council in August revealed that a total of 3.45 billion won in key firefighting-related budgets was cut. The detailed cuts included 2.65 billion won for replacing aging fire trucks, 400 million won for enhancing emergency equipment, 300 million won for improving rescue equipment, and a complete cut of 100 million won for memorial services for fallen firefighters.
As a result, Gyeonggi Province's plan to replace and purchase aging fire trucks has been reduced from 103 to 78 vehicles, a decrease of 25. Critics question whether a local government that cuts budgets for essential vehicles and equipment, which directly impact the safety of frontline personnel, has the right to label firefighting as a 'drain.'
However, Gyeonggi Province officials explained that the cuts were not intentional but rather a necessary financial adjustment due to reduced national funding. They stated that national support for firefighting safety grants decreased by 5.7 billion won from initial expectations, necessitating a reduction of 4.88 billion won in fire truck purchase costs. They added that they managed to defend the final cut to 2.65 billion won by urgently reallocating 2.23 billion won from the provincial budget and are currently proceeding with the introduction of 19 special firefighting vehicles.
While it is true that the reduction in national funding was a catalyst, it is also a fact that the final budgets for equipment and memorial services were cut.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.