Public opinion in the Republic of Korea (RoK) was widely negative on Kim's remarks about women from Sri Lanka and Vietnam at an official forum of the local administration held on February 4 to discuss the proposed administrative merger of Gwangju city and South Jeolla province. Speaking at a press conference following the DP's Supreme Council’s meeting on February 9, DP spokesperson Park Soo Hyun said that all members of the Supreme Council unanimously voted to expel Kim for his derogatory remarks.

The decision came five days after Kim suggested that to address population issues, special measures should be adopted, including what he described as “importing young women from Sri Lanka or Vietnam to marry rural men”.

The remarks, which were reported by Korean media in recent days, sparked strong public backlash in the RoK and among the Vietnamese community, with criticism focusing on their serious lack of awareness of human rights, multiculturalism and gender sensitivity.

In its note sent to the governor of South Jeolla province and the Jindo County Administration, the Vietnamese Embassy stressed that over the past three decades, the Vietnamese and Korean Governments and people have built a relationship of friendship, cooperation and equality, with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership yielding substantial achievements. The Vietnamese community in the RoK has made important contributions to this process, which, it noted, are undeniable.

The embassy emphasised that respect for citizens’ dignity and honour, particularly that of women, is a shared value and principle of both Vietnamese and Korean societies. The Vietnamese Government and people acknowledge and highly value the efforts by the Korean Government and people in protecting and promoting the dignity of women in general and Vietnamese women in particular.

South Jeolla province, it noted, has a long-standing tradition of tolerance, respect and openness, and is regarded by the Vietnamese community as a favourable place to live and pursue their aspirations. During this process, respecting and promoting women's dignity and honour must therefore be one of the top standards.

Against this backdrop, the embassy underlined that offensive words and inappropriate expressions, including the use of the phrase “importing Vietnamese women”, from anyone must be reviewed seriously, properly acknowledged and corrected in a constructive spirit.

Given the seriousness of the case, the South Jeolla provincial administration has accepted responsibility and issued an apology to the Vietnamese government, as well as to the Vietnamese people and women who were "deeply hurt" by Kim's "inappropriate remarks."

The South Jeolla authority pledged to undertake strong measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring, including enhancing human rights and gender-sensitivity awareness among civil servants and expanding multicultural education across the province. They also expressed a sincere commitment to strengthening relations with Vietnam, a country emerging as a dynamic global hub with strong growth potential.

For his part, Kim also issued an apology, saying his remarks were intended to highlight structural problems facing rural regions, including severe population decline and the "weakening foundations for marriage”. He admitted that he had erred in his choice of words, stressing that his remarks were not intended to demean or disparage any country or individual, and apologised anyone who may have been offended by his remarks./. VNA