Kim Du-gyeom, the mayor of Ulsan Metropolitan City, sparked controversy by stating during a forest fire site briefing that "it is difficult to allocate personnel for fire extinguishing due to the high number of female employees."
On the 24th, four days into the forest fire in Onyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, Mayor Kim held a briefing on the forest fire situation at the Forest Disaster Command Center.
On that day, Mayor Kim said, "Usually, when a forest fire occurs in the region, there is a limit to the number of public officials we can allocate, and also, with the increasing number of female employees these days, it is not easy to assign them to the field."
He also mentioned the soldiers deployed for on-site suppression, saying, "This time, the 54th unit sent 500 troops, and it seems that it will be quite easy for them to handle the remaining embers."
He added, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the officers who mobilized the military personnel. I hope there will be no casualties during the process of managing the remaining embers."
Mayor Kim's comments have sparked controversy among netizens. A post on the free bulletin board of the Ulsan Metropolitan City's official website questioned, "Is that something a mayor should say? Do female employees get paid less than male employees?"
In the video comments covering the entire briefing, netizens reacted with comments such as, "Isn't it each person's responsibility to provide support regardless of gender?" and "It belittles those currently working on-site."
However, some pointed out that Mayor Kim's remarks were not incorrect. Some netizens responded, "Isn't it true that only men are usually called during emergencies?" and "Women should be made to work equally."