There is a recurring pattern: fixing the barn after the cow is lost. The more significant issue is that we have known where the problems lie but have chosen to ignore them. In the name of reform, only the 'signs' have changed, while financial and institutional matters have been sidelined. Both the cow and the barn are at risk.
The unresolved financial issues surrounding firefighters have resurfaced since the transition to national firefighter status in 2020. What has been accomplished over the past six years? While the government promised to take responsibility by changing their status, funding has been left to local authorities. National responsibility cannot be fulfilled merely through declarations.
The numbers tell a stark story. Of this year's total firefighting budget of 8.5967 trillion won, only 923.9 billion won, or 10.7%, comes from the national government. For firefighter salaries totaling 6.5129 trillion won, national support accounts for just 8.4%. Despite being national positions, there were significant disparities in uniform allowances last year, with Ulsan providing 700,000 won per person, while Busan and Jeju offered only 250,000 won. The budget for basic uniforms, including work and operational attire, varies greatly by region.
The funding structure is also difficult to comprehend. The firefighting safety grant is linked to the individual consumption tax on tobacco. The grant is expected to decrease by 27.6% next year compared to this year. While reducing smoking is essential for public health, a decline in tobacco consumption will also reduce firefighting finances. This creates a volatile structure where essential firefighting funding is subject to fluctuations in specific tax revenues.
The issue is that local financial capacity can directly affect the level of safety for residents. Firefighting demand does not correlate with the financial independence of local governments. Areas with smaller populations and lower tax revenues, such as mountainous and rural regions, are not necessarily at lower risk for fires or disasters. In fact, larger jurisdictions with greater distances may require more personnel and equipment. If the goal of transitioning to national firefighter status was to address disparities in firefighting services across regions, then financial distribution should have been designed based on actual disaster response needs rather than local tax revenues. There should be no disparities in public safety based on residence.
The local police system faces similar challenges. The justification for its introduction in 2021 was the decentralization of police authority and community-centered policing. However, five years later, local police have yet to establish an independent enforcement organization. Even when local police committees make policy decisions, the officers on the ground remain part of the national police force. This creates a structure where policies are made in the name of local governance but executed by a national organization.
The local police issue is no longer just a matter of local governance. With the recent establishment of the Public Prosecution Service and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, separating investigation and prosecution has occurred. If the concentration of power in the prosecution is addressed while leaving the police structure centralized, the rationale for reform will inevitably diminish. The essence of reforming power institutions lies not in transferring power from one agency to another but in creating a structure of checks and balances that prevents any one entity from monopolizing authority.
This is why a dual structure for local police is necessary. The national police should focus on national and regional crime response and investigation, while local police should handle community safety, traffic, and local crime prevention. Granting independent organizations and real personnel and budget authority will enable policies that meet local safety needs. It is contradictory to demand tailored policing from local authorities while making uniform decisions from the center.
Firefighting and local police started from opposite directions but have arrived at the same destination. Firefighting has shifted national responsibility while leaving the burden on local governments, and local police have pursued decentralization while retaining authority at the national level. Authority without responsibility is merely a 'privilege,' while responsibility without authority is nothing more than 'passing the buck.' What the government and political circles need to change is not the signage but this outdated approach to reform.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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