26.11.5 Governor's costly slip of the tongue

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< Governor's costly slip of the tongue >        도지사의 치명적인 말실수

Published Oct 18, 2026 4:55 pm KST

①Politicians must watch their words and reflect on their actions 

    정치인들은 말에 신중을 기하고 자신의 행동을 되돌아봐야 한다

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.

금요일, 경기도 부천에서 화재로 피해를 입은 공장을 현장 방문한 추미애 경기도지사(앞쪽)가 소방관들을 위로하고 있다.

The deadly blaze took the life of one firefighter and injured several others. Yonhap

이 치명적인 화재로 소방관 1명이 사망하고 여러 명이 부상을 입었다. 연합뉴스

Politicians’ words can make or break their careers.

정치인의 한 마디는 그 사람의 정치 생명을 좌우할 수 있다.

Every politician knows this, and many, especially those with high ambitions, go to great lengths to avoid crossing the line.

모든 정치인은 이 사실을 잘 알고 있으며, 특히 야망이 큰 정치인들은 선을 넘지 않기 위해 각별한 주의를 기울인다.

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.

최근 추미애 경기도지사는 소방관들을 공개적으로 모욕함으로써 정치적 발언의 함정에 대한 감각이 부족함을 드러내며 심각한 실수를 저질렀다.

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.

선출직 공직자로서 풍부한 경험을 가진 추 지사 같은 노련한 정치인이 어떻게 이런 말실수를 막지 못했는지 이해하기 어렵다.

Words, once spoken, cannot be taken back.        한 번 입 밖으로 나온 말은 되돌릴 수 없다.

②On Saturday, Choo issued a public apology for her inappropriate remarks about firefighters.

    토요일, 추 씨는 소방관들에 대한 부적절한 발언에 대해 공개적으로 사과했다.

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.

그녀는 소셜 미디어 게시물을 통해 논란을 일으킨 점에 대해 유감을 표하며, 소방관들을 무시하거나 그들의 노고를 폄하할 의도는 전혀 없었다고 강조했다.

“I didn’t take their sacrifices lightly.      “저는 소방관들의 희생을 가볍게 여기지 않았습니다.

But I am truly sorry if there are any firefighters or their family members who were hurt by my words,” she wrote.

하지만 제 말로 인해 상처를 받은 소방관이나 그 가족분들이 계시다면 진심으로 죄송합니다”라고 그녀는 적었다.

It was her second social media post about firefighters that day.

이날 소방관들과 관련해 그녀가 올린 소셜 미디어 게시물은 두 번째였다.

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.

첫 번째 게시물에서 그녀는 금요일 경기도 부천의 한 제조 공장 화재 진압 중 사망한 소방관에게 추모의 뜻을 전했다.

The deadly blaze brought renewed attention to Choo’s earlier remarks about firefighters during the National Assembly’s annual audit of local governments.

이 치명적인 화재로 인해 국회 지방정부 연례 감사 기간 중 추 씨가 했던 소방관 관련 발언이 다시 주목을 받게 되었다.

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.

③The 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.

④Choo 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.

⑤Choo 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.

< The middle ground >

Between the 1st floor and the 2nd floor

KIM SEONG-KON

①In American towns, three-story apartment buildings are a common sight. Some Americans prefer first-floor apartments because of the convenience when moving large items like furniture or carrying groceries. Others prefer the third floor for its superior views and the absence of overhead noise.

The problem is that both choices carry distinct flaws. For example, first-floor apartments are hopelessly exposed to pedestrians, who peer in while walking by, even if it is often unconsciously or unwittingly. To protect your privacy, you must constantly keep the blinds drawn, which ultimately leaves the apartment dark and dim. To make matters worse, stomping sounds from the second floor can cause great annoyance whenever upstairs neighbors walk around with their shoes on.

Third-floor apartments have problems of their own. Due to roofs baking under scorching sunlight, these units can become boiling during summer nights. In the winter, they bear the brunt of the cold weather, making them chillier than units on the lower levels. Consequently, many people find that second-floor apartments offer a better balance than the ones on the first floor or the third floor.

②From this, we can draw two invaluable life lessons. The first is that everything possesses positives and negatives. We often assume the world is inherently unfair. However, the world maintains a surprising balance because every situation has its pros and cons. While second-floor apartments are generally cool in the summer and warm in the winter, they are not perfect; residents must still contend with noise from both above and below.

We often assume that rich people are universally happy and poor people are not. However, the wealthy are frequently embroiled in bitter legal disputes over inheritance issues, while those with less can live contentedly by accepting what they have rather than harboring jealousy. This aligns with the biblical reminder to “give thanks in all circumstances.”

③When we accept that everything has merits and demerits, even historical military dictatorships can be viewed through a dual lens. In South Korea, citizens rightfully abhorred the military rule of the 1960s through the 1970s. Yet, many acknowledge that this very government laid the foundation for the nation's current economic prosperity. Likewise, during that iron-fisted era, anti-government student activists represented the hope and future of the Korean people. However, if those same activists delude themselves into thinking they are still fighting dictators in 2026 — becoming tyrannical themselves and crushing political opponents — they become a profound disappointment. We must learn to view history from multiple perspectives.

The second lesson from the three-story apartment building is the importance of finding the middle ground to resist extremes, or practicing "the middle against both ends," as Leslie A. Fiedler noted. Safe in the middle, second-floor residents avoid both the embarrassing exposure of the ground floor and the extreme temperatures of the top floor. By occupying the middle ground in life, we can resist political extremes and live comfortably.

④Unfortunately, our current society is plagued by heated ideological fights between the extreme left and the far right. We suffer from the scorching heat of these political confrontations every day, desperately needing an air conditioner to cool the national rhetoric. In that sense, our country resembles a third-floor apartment.

At the same time, our internal struggles are exposed to the global stage, much like living on the first floor. Since foreign onlookers watch us closely, we can feel disgraced and ashamed. We should consider how our country may appear to other countries. We may want to cover the window so that the outside world cannot see us. The problem is that in the age of ubiquitous social media, we can no longer pull down the blinds to hide our political dysfunction.

By choosing the second floor, we can reject both the extreme left-wing ideology and far-right dogmatism that have crippled our society since liberation. On the second floor, we can pursue moderation, gentleness and civility. Free from the sway of extremists, we gain the capacity to embrace differences, which is a crucial trait for any advanced nation.

⑤As Edward Gibbon pointed out, the decline and fall of the Roman Empire was ultimately caused by a loss of generosity and the capacity to embrace differences. Unfortunately, our political climate exhibits the same phenomenon these days. To evade the inevitable decline and fall of our country, we should seek the middle ground, avoiding both extremes and be gentle and moderate. We also should embrace diversity and listen to different voices.

A simple three-story apartment building teaches us a priceless lesson. If we choose ideological extremes, we will inevitably suffer the scorching heat or freezing cold, and, moreover, we will embarrassingly make a spectacle of ourselves in front of other countries. If we choose the middle ground, however, we can live comfortably, free from ideological warfare. We should choose wisely. The choice is ours.

Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. The views expressed here are the writer's own. — Ed