Paul Singh Portfolio

Kim Hee-Soo, governor of Jindo County of South Jeolla Province

A South Korean official Kim Hee-Soo, who is the governor of Jindo County of South Jeolla Province, has been expelled for his comment on importing women from Sri Lanka and Vietnam to combat the low birth rates. 

In addition, the remarks were made during a live stream of a town hall meeting proposing an administrative merger of Gwangju and Southern Jeolla Province. Gov. Kim had used the idea to marry off rural bachelors and boost the population decline within the region. Because of his televised remarks, it caused a protest in Vietnam. 

According to the Independent, “The Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul issued a statement to condemn Mr. Kim’s remarks, saying that his words were “not simply a matter of expression but a matter of values and attitudes towards migrant women and minority groups.” Many people in the country called him out for his comments, deeming them “inappropriate.”

As a result of these televised remarks, the Democratic Party had expelled him on the 9th and there was anger from the public. Gov. Kim tried to make an apology on the 5th to defuse the outrage but it ultimately failed as backlash still continued.

“The suggestion comes as South Korea continues to grapple with the lowest birth-rates in the world, which could see the country’s 50 million-strong population drop by half in 60 years,” BBC reports.

During a meeting, a Democratic Party Supreme Council member Moon Jeong-Bok said “A person is not a subject to import. The essence of this remark goes beyond a lack of gender sensitivity — it treats people like objects.”

Furthermore, now activists for women in Jindo County are planning to hold a rally for his remarks. Approximately 100 groups for women`s rights, civic and migrant groups had condemned Kim`s remarks as well bringing up the issue that they treated immigrant women as tools to fix the depopulation issue.

Due to the seriousness of this matter, authorities for South Jeolla had issued an apology to the Vietnamese government and people hurt by his comments. In the statement, it mentioned the Vietnamese community in South Korea emphasizing those living in the South Jeolla Province and mentioning the friendship between South Korea and Vietnam for 30 years.