ED Governor's costly slip of the tongue
Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae, front, tries to console firefighters during her on-site visit to a factory damaged by a fire in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. The deadly blaze took the life of one firefighter and injured several others. Yonhap
Politicians must watch their words and reflect on their actions
Politicians’ words can make or break their careers. Every politician knows this, and many, especially those with high ambitions, go to great lengths to avoid crossing the line.
Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae recently made a serious mistake, revealing a lack of sensitivity to the pitfalls of political rhetoric by publicly insulting firefighters. It is hard to understand how a seasoned politician like Choo, with extensive experience as an elected official, failed to guard against such a slip of the tongue. Words, once spoken, cannot be taken back.
On Saturday, Choo issued a public apology for her inappropriate remarks about firefighters. In a social media post, she expressed regret for causing trouble and stressed that she had never intended to disrespect firefighters or belittle their work. “I didn’t take their sacrifices lightly. But I am truly sorry if there are any firefighters or their family members who were hurt by my words,” she wrote. It was her second social media post about firefighters that day. In her first message, she paid tribute to a firefighter who was killed Friday while battling a fire at a manufacturing plant in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.
The deadly blaze brought renewed attention to Choo’s earlier remarks about firefighters during the National Assembly’s annual audit of local governments.
On Oct. 13, while explaining mounting deficits, Choo identified firefighting expenditures as one source of her government’s financial difficulties. She likened firefighting to a straw that drains the local government’s annual budget, leaving it depleted. She also described firefighting as a headache, complaining that the local government would spend 1.1 trillion won ($824 million) on firefighters’ salaries next year alone. Following Friday’s fatal fire, her remarks went viral on social media and YouTube, sparking public outrage.
The civil servants’ labor union strongly criticized Choo for her reckless comments. In a statement, the union accused her of insulting firefighters. “Firefighters work day and night to protect people’s lives and property. Gov. Choo insulted these hardworking people by portraying them as a major source of wasteful spending and a financial burden on the local government,” the statement said.
There is no doubt that Choo made a serious mistake.
As she herself acknowledged, her remarks were highly inappropriate. Firefighters risk their lives to save others and protect property from danger. Their work demands extraordinary courage, commitment and dedication. As the recent death of a firefighter on duty tragically demonstrated, they often work under hazardous conditions in which the line between life and death is perilously thin. Firefighters cannot be blamed for rising firefighting expenditures.
For politicians, a slip of the tongue can be fatal to their careers. The consequences can extend far beyond their personal political fortunes, damaging their parties as well.
Choo came under pressure to apologize publicly to firefighters for her remarks. For some reason, however, she initially stopped short of doing so. Instead, she paid tribute to the fallen firefighter and expressed sympathy for his grieving family without addressing her earlier comments. Her message failed to win over the public. During an on-site visit to the factory after the fire had been extinguished, she was met with a cold reception from firefighters.
Her careless remarks came at a steep political cost. She faced criticism not only from the opposition but also from within her own party. Rep. Kim Min-seok, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), apologized on behalf of the party, expressing regret for the hurt caused by Choo’s inappropriate comments. Kim also called on Choo to apologize personally. She did not respond to his call immediately.
Choo and Kim are political rivals, both seen as potential presidential contenders competing for support among DPK members and supporters.
The two have been at odds lately. Kim is a close confidant of President Lee Jae Myung, while Choo has become increasingly critical of the Lee administration over what she describes as the president’s lackluster efforts at prosecutorial reform.
With her careless remarks, Choo has tarnished her own reputation. She should learn a valuable lesson from this episode: Politicians must choose their words with the utmost care. Going forward, the governor must think carefully before speaking, recognizing that a single ill-considered remark can inflict lasting damage on both her political career and public trust.