The Serious Crimes Investigation Agency has transferred the case involving Choo Mi-ae, the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, to the police following allegations stemming from her comments about the firefighting budget.
According to legal sources on October 28, the Seoul District Serious Crimes Investigation Agency referred the case against Governor Choo, who is accused of abuse of power and defamation, to the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency on October 23.
Choo sparked controversy on October 13 during a National Assembly audit of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety when she stated, "Firefighting seems to be the biggest, most troublesome financial leech."
Four days later, on October 17, while visiting the funeral of late Fire Lieutenant Kim Jin-seok, who died in the line of duty during a factory fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, she said, "Since you are asking for an apology, I sincerely apologize," further intensifying the controversy.
On October 19, the Citizens' Livelihood Countermeasure Committee filed a complaint with the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, criticizing Choo's remarks. The committee stated that her insincere apology was akin to killing the deceased twice and constituted defamation that severely harmed the pride of firefighters.
The Seoul District Serious Crimes Investigation Agency initially assigned the complaint to its anti-corruption investigation unit for review but ultimately deemed it more appropriate for the police to handle the investigation.
The Serious Crimes Investigation Agency focuses on investigating cases related to corruption, economic crimes, defense industry issues, drug offenses, national security (including treason and foreign exchange), cybercrime, and legal distortion.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.