Korean officials suggest introducing women from countries like Vietnam to boost birth rates, sparking outrage

A South Korean official suggested "importing young women" from Vietnam or Sri Lanka to increase the birth rate, leading to his expulsion from the party.

Last week, Kim Hee-soo, the mayor of Jindo County in southern South Korea, stated at a municipal meeting that these women could be married to "young men in rural areas."

South Korea is facing the world's lowest birth rate, and its 50 million population may decrease by half within 60 years. This suggestion has attracted widespread attention.

After Kim Hee-soo's remarks were broadcast on television, they immediately caused strong public dissatisfaction, with Vietnam lodging a diplomatic protest. Subsequently, there was sustained public anger in South Korea, which ultimately led to his expulsion from the ruling Democratic Party.

Two days after the municipal meeting, Kim Hee-soo tried to calm the public outcry with an apology, but it seemed unsuccessful.

This municipal meeting aimed to discuss the possibility of merging the province where Jindo County is located with nearby cities - administrative considerations for areas experiencing population decline would consider such mergers.

According to local media reports, Kim Hee-soo said his comments were intended to highlight the population issues in rural areas, but he also admitted that his wording was "inappropriate."

According to local media reports, the Jeolla Nam-do government also formally apologized for Kim Hee-soo's "inappropriate remarks," stating that it had "caused deep harm to the Vietnamese people and women."

The Vietnamese embassy in Seoul condemned Kim Hee-soo's remarks and issued a statement on Facebook, saying that his comments "are not just a matter of expression, but relate to values and attitudes towards immigrant women and ethnic minorities."

Sri Lankan authorities have not yet publicly commented on the issue.

A spokesperson for the Democratic Party told reporters on Monday that the party's highest committee unanimously voted to expel Kim Hee-soo from the party.

Meanwhile, reports also indicate that women's and migrant rights activists plan to hold a rally in front of the Jindo County government on Tuesday to protest Kim Hee-soo's remarks.

Source: BBC

Original: toutiao.com/article/1856809370951680/

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