South Jeolla apologizes after Jindo governor suggests 'importing young virgins' from Sri Lanka, Vietnam

South Jeolla has apologized for the Jindo County governor, who said the country should "import young virgins from Sri Lanka or Vietnam."

Jindo County Governor Kim Hee-soo speaks during a town hall meeting on the proposed administrative integration of Gwangju and South Jeolla at the Haenam Culture and Arts Center in South Jeolla on Feb. 4. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

South Jeolla has apologized for the Jindo County governor, who said the country should "import young virgins from Sri Lanka or Vietnam."

“We sincerely bow our heads in apology to the Vietnamese Embassy in Korea and the Vietnamese government, as well as to the Vietnamese people and women who have been deeply hurt," a county spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.

"We know that expressions such as 'import,' which were used during a question-and-answer session, undermine human dignity and objectify women and cannot be justified under any circumstances."

The province explained that the remarks run directly counter to the values of respect for human rights, gender equality and multicultural inclusion that South Jeolla has pursued.

"Vietnam holds special meaning for the province, as many residents of Vietnamese origin have already settled in South Jeolla and are living as valued members of the local community," read the statement.

"We will use this incident as an opportunity to significantly strengthen education on human rights, gender sensitivity and multicultural understanding across society," said the spokesperson. "We will ensure all public officials fully recognize the responsibility and weight of public remarks. We will establish thorough internal checks and preventive systems to prevent any recurrence of discriminatory language or behavior."

The remarks were made during a Gwangju–South Jeolla administrative integration town hall meeting held on Wednesday at the Haenam Culture and Arts Center in South Jeolla. Jindo County Gov. Kim Hee-soo, while responding to a question on measures to address population decline, said that special measures were needed, including “importing young virgins from places like Sri Lanka or Vietnam and helping rural bachelors get married,” adding that reviving industries alone would not work without people.

"Virgins" — cheonyeo in Korean — can also be loosely translated as "young, unmarried women," but the literal translation and dictionary meaning refer to virgins.

The Vietnamese flag [TASS/YONHAP]

After the backlash, Kim issued an apology on Thursday, saying he had intended "to argue for increasing the inflow of unmarried foreign women to promote marriage among single men in rural areas and improve sustainability in farming and fishing communities facing severe labor shortages."

"I made a mistake by choosing the word 'import,' which led to the inappropriate remark," Kim said. "I am clearly aware that the term could cause misunderstanding and discomfort. I am deeply regretful, and I wish to correct the expression immediately. I did not intend, in any way, to demean or objectify any country or individual.

"My comment stemmed from the belief that marriage migrant women and migrants should be respected as dignified members of society and that their stable settlement and the formation of local communities should be institutionally supported."

The Vietnamese Embassy in Korea sent an official letter to the South Jeolla governor’s office and the Jindo County governor’s office expressing deep regret over the remarks. The embassy claimed that the comments undermined the dignity of Vietnamese women and could negatively affect friendly relations between the two countries, calling for responsible measures and steps to prevent a recurrence.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM EUN-BIN, YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]