PPP: 'Choo Mi-ae Is a Fiscal Straw Sucking Up Residents' Tax Money'

The People Power Party (PPP) continued its offensive on the 19th, as the funeral of the late firefighter Kim Jin-seok was held, with the party's Supreme Council calling Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae's apology "an all-time worst blunder that toyed with firefighters twice and mocked the public." The front has now widened to include local governments across the board.

Floor Leader Jeong Seong-gyu lumped Governor Choo together with Gangwon Governor Woo Sang-ho and Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae as the "Choo-Woo-Park trio." Jeong argued, "Governor Choo claimed she would resolve the fiscal crisis, but slashed core welfare budgets without prior consultation with cities, counties and districts, fueling confusion." He added, "Total incompetence without accountability—this is the very nature of the Democratic Party." He went on to criticize, "The Democratic Party is ruining state affairs and driving local administration into collapse as well."

Jえong also took aim at the officials' conduct in office: "They still mistakenly believe they are the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairman, the presidential chief of staff for political affairs, and the Democratic Party floor leader. If they miss politics more than administration, they should resign from their posts."

At the party's Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly, PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk said, "Governor Choo cut 2.65 billion won from the fire truck procurement budget—enough to buy 25 fire trucks. Yet she left her perfectly fine car behind and bought a new one." He added, "The fiscal straw sucking up residents' hard-earned tax money is Governor Choo herself."

Jang also claimed, "President Lee Jae-myung plays golf with his family even as Navy service members die, and even when a knife attack breaks out, he prioritizes his 'Bukhan vacation' sightseeing." He went on, "The people are calling for your resignations, so I urge the two of you (President Lee and Governor Choo) to step down together."