People Power Party Slams Choo Mi-ae's Apology as 'Arrogant and Shameless'

The People Power Party strongly criticized Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae's apology remarks, made after paying respects at the altar of a firefighter who died in the Buchen factory fire, on the 17th, saying it "cannot help but feel devastated by her putting forward her sense of grievance rather than her own faults."

Earlier that day, at around 2 p.m., Governor Choo met with reporters at the funeral hall of Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, after visiting the altar of Firefighter Kim Jin-seok, who died battling the fire at a leather stamping factory in Bucheon. Regarding her 'fiscal straw' remark (a metaphor suggesting Gyeonggi Province sucks up the national budget) made during the National Assembly audit on the 13th, she said, "Since you are hoping for an apology, I sincerely apologize with all my heart."

Chief Spokesperson Park Sung-hoon said in a statement that day, "Governor Choo's apology was arrogant to the very end," countering, "Did she go to apologize, or to make excuses?" He added, "What is even more baffling is the lengthy self-justification she spewed out right after the apology," pointing out that "she listed fiscal issues and enumerated her past achievements, ultimately appealing for people to understand the true intent of her remark." He said, "The altar of a fallen firefighter is not a civil complaints office where Governor Choo can air her grievances."

Senior Floor Spokesperson Choi Su-jin also met with reporters at the National Assembly that day, saying, "It is utterly shameless, and of course we will not accept it as an apology," urging, "Offer a proper apology."

With the opposition party uniformly denouncing the ruling-party governor's apology as 'arrogant and shameless' and demanding a genuine apology, the political wrangling over the 'fiscal straw' remark is expected to continue rather than end with the apology.