SEJONG — Korea's budget minister on Wednesday vowed to look into potential vulnerabilities in the country's funding for firefighters, amid concerns that they have become a financial burden for regional governments. "I agree that the issue needs to be carefully examined," Budget Minister Park Hong-geun said during a meeting with reporters in the central city of Sejong. "We have not yet held detailed internal discussions on how the situation should be improved," Park said. "We need to look into the issue with the presidential office, the interior ministry, the fire agency and regional governments." His remarks came after Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae recently described firefighters as a "fiscal drain," triggering public backlash while drawing attention to underlying issues in the funding system. Choo's remarks were based on concerns that firefighting services have become a burden on local government finances, despite firefighters being classified as central government employees since 2020. "It is the responsibility of the state to create an environment where those who sacrifice and de