The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on the 11th that it expressed an opinion urging Jindo County Governor Kim Hee-su, who referred to women of a specific country as a means to increase the population, to complete human rights training that includes improving gender sensitivity and multicultural awareness.
In Feb., Governor Kim attended an event and, in response to a question about measures to address population decline, said, "We need to implement special measures, such as importing young virgins from Sri Lanka or Vietnam to marry off rural bachelors." A petition was filed with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) arguing that Kim's remarks were demeaning to women and racially discriminatory.
Governor Kim said the remarks were intended to enhance the sustainability of rural and fishing communities, but acknowledged they did not align with cultural sensitivity and the principles of gender equality, and promised the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) an apology and measures to prevent a recurrence. He also expressed a commitment to continued improvement.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Committee for Remedy of Discrimination dismissed the petition, finding it difficult to conclude that the remarks caused specific harm to the petitioner. However, it determined that Kim's use of the term "import" to refer to the marriage migration of foreign women implies recognizing people as objects or labor that can be exchanged or procured, and that referring to foreign women as a means to solve rural men's marriage problems failed to sufficiently consider women's right to self-determination and personal rights.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also viewed that, in a reality where the number of marriage-migrant women is increasing and members with diverse cultural backgrounds coexist, such expressions could reinforce social stigma and prejudice against immigrants and multicultural families.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) further expressed the view that it would be desirable not only for Governor Kim but also for the president of the Council of Mayors, County Governors, and District Chiefs of the Republic of Korea to conduct training to improve gender sensitivity and multicultural awareness for its members.
Governor Kim ran as an independent in the 9th nationwide local elections held simultaneously (the June 3 local elections) and lost to Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-gak by 107 votes.