According to a report by the JoongAng Ilbo on November 7, the South Korean government has ordered an investigation into Kim Cheol-soo, president of the Korean Red Cross. Previously, it was reported that Kim made racist remarks about foreign ambassadors at a charity dinner in 2023.

The report stated that ambassadors and their spouses from seven countries, including Angola, India, and Sri Lanka, were also invited to the 2023 Korean Red Cross charity dinner. However, according to Park Joo-min, a member of the ruling People Power Party and a member of the National Assembly's Committee on Health and Welfare, Kim told staff after the dinner, "They are all black-skinned," and "they don't seem very helpful." He also instructed the staff to "invite some white people next time," including people from so-called "five major powers" (referring to five powerful Western countries).

Kim Cheol-soo, President of the Korean Red Cross, Yonhap News

According to data provided by the Korean Red Cross, the number of countries invited as guests to the events indeed dropped sharply from 113 to 23 after Kim made this instruction, with the "five major powers" also among the remaining countries.

Park Joo-min exposed this incident on the social media platform Facebook on the 6th, causing a public uproar in South Korea. President Lee Jae-myung has instructed the Ministry of Health and Welfare to conduct a formal investigation into the matter and "severely condemned" Kim's inappropriate behavior. The presidential spokesperson also said that Lee has instructed all government departments to take concrete measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination and hatred, emphasizing that "prejudices based on race, ethnicity, nationality, or region constitute serious social injustice and can harm the national community."

After the incident continued to escalate, local media reported on the 7th that Kim had told senior officials of the Korean Red Cross that he planned to resign. However, it is worth noting that Kim once served as co-chair of the fundraising committee for former President Yoon Suk-yeol's campaign. Previously, the South Korean public had criticized Kim's close relationship with Yoon, with some suspecting that the hospital where Kim serves as chairman received special treatment in its expansion into overseas markets.

As of the evening of the 7th, the Korean Red Cross did not respond to the request from the JoongAng Ilbo for a comment on this incident. The International Committee of the Red Cross stated that it is currently conducting an internal review of the incident.

This article is an exclusive publication by Observers, and without permission, it cannot be reprinted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7570170701546635776/

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