Jindo Governor's 'import women' remark triggers diplomatic backlash, province issues apology

Jindo Gov. Kim Hee-su (Jindo-gun)

The South Jeolla Provincial Government said Sunday it would send official letters of apology after the governor of Jindo drew backlash for suggesting the country should “import” young women from the two nations to address population decline.

“We plan to send an apology letter on Monday to the Vietnamese and Sri Lankan embassies regarding the remarks made by Jindo Gov. Kim Hee-su,” the provincial government said.

In the letter, the province offered a formal apology to “the countries concerned, their governments, embassies, citizens and women who were hurt by the inappropriate remarks made by Gov. Kim.”

“We bow our heads deeply in apology,” the letter said, adding that the use of the word “import” objectified women and undermined human dignity. The province pledged to strengthen human rights and gender-sensitivity response to prevent similar incidents.

The apology follows comments made Wednesday by the Jindo Governor at a town hall meeting of regional leaders held at the Haenam Culture and Arts Center in Haenam, which sparked both domestic and international criticism.

“If it comes to it, we should import young women from Sri Lanka or Vietnam for young men in rural regions to marry,” Kim said, urging authorities to legislate measures to counter the area’s rapidly declining population.

The remarks quickly drew condemnation in Korea, with the Jindo-gun Office website flooded with critical comments.

“As a Korean citizen, the governor’s words make me embarrassed. What do you mean by ‘importing women’? He should apologize and step down,” one comment read.

Vietnamese media outlets also reported on the controversy. According to Vietnamese media VN Express, Vietnam’s diplomatic mission in Seoul sent official letters to the South Jeolla Provincial Government and Jindo, describing Kim’s remarks as “offensive and inappropriate.”

Amid mounting backlash, Kim issued a separate apology Thursday.

“I did not intend to demean any specific country or individual,” Kim said. “I chose inappropriate words while trying to express the need for an influx of unmarried foreign women to encourage marriage among men in rural communities as a way to improve sustainability.”

As of 2024, South Korea is home to more than 145,700 migrant women married to Korean citizens, about 25 percent of whom are from Vietnam, according to data from the Ministry of Justice.

Meanwhile, several women’s rights and migrant advocacy groups are planning to hold a rally in front of the Jindo-gun Office on Tuesday to condemn the governor’s remarks.