'사람'을 '수입품'으로 치부한 지방자치단체장, 낡은 인식의 비극적 종말 > K-wave Trends

The incident began last February at a public town hall meeting to discuss the administrative integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam. In the process of mentioning the severe population decline in the region and the marriage problem of rural bachelors, Governor Kim used inappropriate expressions such as the need to 'import' Sri Lankan and Vietnamese women. This is more than just a mistake in word choice, it is an expression of an anti-human rights mentality that reduces people to objects or tools that can be procured for specific purposes. The Human Rights Commission pointed out that there is a high risk that these comments will seriously undermine immigrant women's right to self-determination and solidify discrimination and prejudice within our society by reinforcing stereotypes about certain countries and genders.

The Human Rights Commission reviewed this case and strongly recommended that Governor Kim, the person responsible for the remarks, complete human rights training to improve gender awareness and multicultural sensitivity. In addition, they requested that the overall policy to support migrant women and multicultural families in the region be reexamined from the perspective of gender equality, rather than simply limiting individual education. Furthermore, he emphasized the need for human rights sensitivity training for his members to the Chairman of the Korea Mayors, County and District Heads' Association, and sent a clear message that the outdated awareness system that is widespread throughout public service must be corrected. This suggests that the Human Rights Commission is taking a serious look at the stigmatizing effect that public comments have on socially underprivileged people.

Meanwhile, this incident has had political ramifications. Governor Kim initially explained that it was a desperate measure taken in the process of preparing measures for rural sustainability, issued an official apology, and took action to resolve the issue by sending letters to the Vietnamese and Sri Lankan embassies in Korea. However, his political party, the Democratic Party of Korea, defined his remarks as a violation of human rights and damage to dignity and expelled him. In the subsequent June 3 local elections, Mayor Kim attempted to make a comeback by running as an independent candidate, but was ultimately defeated and suffered a fatal blow to his political career.

The Human Rights Commission decided to dismiss this complaint on the grounds that no specific victims were identified, but made it clear that the content of the statement itself was highly likely to violate human rights. Apart from legal punishment, this clearly shows how a public figure's remarks are judged socially when they do not meet the values ​​of the times and human rights standards. The disappearance of rural populations is not a simple problem that can be solved only by the influx of married immigrant women; a multifaceted approach is needed, including improving settlement conditions and respect for a multicultural society. If you are a public official, now is the time to break away from the anachronistic ‘instrumental approach’ and consider policy alternatives based on human rights.