Jindo country's Governor Kim Hee-soo. — Photo Chosun Daily

SEOUL — The Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of Korea (RoK) on Friday sent an official note expressing its position regarding remarks deemed disrespectful towards Vietnamese women made by the head of Jindo county in South Jeolla province.

Jindo country's Governor Kim Hee-soo, during an official administration forum, suggested that to address population issues, special measures should be adopted, including what he described as “importing young women from Sri Lanka or Việt Nam to marry rural men”.

The remarks, which were reported by Korean media over the past two days, sparked strong public backlash in the RoK and among the Vietnamese community, with criticism focusing on their serious lack of awareness of human rights, multiculturalism, and gender sensitivity.

In its note sent to the governor of South Jeolla province and the Jindo county administration, the Vietnamese Embassy stressed that over the past three decades, the Vietnamese and Korean Governments and peoples have built a relationship of friendship, cooperation, and equality, with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership yielding substantial achievements. The Vietnamese community in the RoK has made important contributions to this process which, it noted, are undeniable.

The embassy emphasised that respect for citizens’ dignity and honour, particularly that of women, is a shared value and principle of both Vietnamese and Korean societies. The Vietnamese Government and people acknowledge and highly value the efforts by the Korean Government and people in protecting and promoting the dignity of women in general and Vietnamese women in particular.

South Jeolla province, it noted, has a long-standing tradition of tolerance, respect, and openness, and is regarded by the Vietnamese community as a favourable place to live and pursue their aspirations. During this process, respecting and promoting women's dignity and honour must therefore be one of the top standards.

Against this backdrop, the embassy underlined that offensive language and inappropriate expressions, including the use of the phrase “importing Vietnamese women”, from anyone must be reviewed seriously, properly acknowledged and corrected in a constructive spirit.

It expressed confidence that sincere acknowledgement and concrete remedial actions will help build trust, promote appropriate conduct, and further consolidate the Việt Nam–RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Meanwhile, local journal JoongAng Ilbo reported on February 6 that Governor of Jindo country Kim Hee-soo had apologised for using the term “import” when referring to women from specific countries in the context of population decline. He explained that his remarks were intended to highlight structural challenges related to declining population, marriage and birth rates in rural areas, affirming he had no intention of demeaning any country or individual. He also apologised to anyone who may have felt offended. — VNA/VNS