Choo Mi-ae, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, was found to have used expressions such as "second-class civic consciousness" and "imitation citizens" about Gyeonggi Province residents. Choo is preparing to run for Gyeonggi governor.
The remarks in question came on MBN's current affairs program "MBN Jeong Un-gap's In-depth Analysis," where Choo appeared on the 11th. At the end of the roughly 25-minute interview, when anchor Jeong Un-gap asked whether she intended to run for Gyeonggi governor, Choo said, "Yes. Yes, I am firmly prepared in my mind."
In response to the question, "What issues should the next Gyeonggi governor resolve?," Choo said, "Until now, Gyeonggi's identity has been quite lacking. There has been that kind of second-class civic consciousness that if you fall behind in competition in Seoul, you transfer to Gyeonggi, and issues with Gyeonggi's independent identity have been very difficult to solve."
She continued, "In many issues such as transportation and education, people pay a lot for transportation but have to endure the worst traffic hell, which you can easily understand if you think of Gyeonggi residents," adding, "However, I want to create a top-tier Gyeonggi that escapes from such imitation citizens and has its own identity, culture, education, transportation, housing, and jobs."
After the remarks became known, criticism poured in from political circles. The People Power Party said in a commentary on the 14th, "Labeling Gyeonggi residents as having 'second-class civic consciousness' and as 'imitation citizens' is effectively a disparagement of the region and a serious insult that no excuse can cover."
The People Power Party went on, "The very fact that a politician aiming to be the next Gyeonggi governor bandies about 'second-class citizens' toward residents who support her already disqualifies her," adding, "Driving Gyeonggi residents as a group mired in an inferiority complex and declaring that they 'even lack identity' is not a mere slip of the tongue but a revelation of a deep-rooted 'vulgar perception' of Gyeonggi."
Kim Byung-joo, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker who declared a run for Gyeonggi governor, wrote on his Facebook on the 13th, "Gyeonggi is already 'No. 1.' Now it is time to ensure that value is properly respected."
Choo Mi-ae's office, amid the controversy, said, "The purpose is to overturn the old perception that Gyeonggi is inferior to the Seoul city government and to properly establish Gyeonggi's potential and status to create a 'top-tier Gyeonggi.' It is regrettable to excerpt only certain expressions and distort the full context of the remarks."