Campaigning Begins in the Market, Controversy Sparks from 'Ambassador' Remarks

Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, has found himself embroiled in a controversy surrounding sexism on the very first day of his campaign. Kim, who officially began his campaign at Garak Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul, used the term 'Miss Garak Market' when referring to fellow party member Rep. Bae Hyun-jin, drawing criticism for his outdated comments.

On the morning of the 12th, while visiting the fruit stands at Garak Market, Candidate Kim emphasized, "I will become the president of the market, the president of people's livelihoods, and the president of the economy."

While shaking hands with merchants and listening to public sentiment, Kim asked about the state of business during a breakfast gathering featuring Sundae-guk (blood sausage soup). The representative of the merchants expressed, "It’s the worst," sharing their difficulties.

Following this, Kim stated, "It would be great to have a promotional ambassador for the market," and mentioned, "Today, even though I've been to various regions, I don't see anyone but Rep. Bae Hyun-jin." He then proposed that Rep. Bae should become the honorary ambassador for the Garak Market General Federation. When Rep. Bae responded, "If you order me, I will do it," Kim jokingly added, "I should also give you the appointment letter as 'Miss Garak Market'."

Criticism of Outdated Perceptions… "'Miss' is not a term for politicians"

While Rep. Bae simply smiled, reactions online were quite different. Citizens criticized the remarks as "outdated," arguing that referring to a female lawmaker as a promotional tool focused on appearance demonstrated a lack of sensitivity towards gender issues.

In particular, there was strong backlash against the expression 'Miss Garak Market' for its authoritative and sexist implications.

Some critics also pointed out that Kim unilaterally declared the appointment without seeking Rep. Bae's consent, labeling it 'undemocratic.' Across social media and community forums, comments such as "What era is this, calling a female politician ‘Miss’?," and "This kind of one-sided appointment without discussion is the real issue" emerged.

Repeating Past Controversies on Gender Disparagement

In addition to this recent incident, Kim has sparked multiple controversies in the past due to sexist remarks. In 2018, while running for mayor of Seoul with the Liberty Korea Party, he ignited outrage by saying, "Do beautiful women live without washing? This is unacceptable. They need to groom themselves daily."

During his tenure as the governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2011, he faced backlash for stating, "Women's activities are limited," and "It’s a problem if they can’t be reached late at night," revealing gender role stereotypes.

In the same year, while speaking at a CEO breakfast meeting invited by the Korean Standards Association about corruption, he caused a stir with the remark, "What is Chunhyangjeon? Isn’t it that Byeon, the magistrate, is trying to XXX Chun-hyang?"

Image Source: jtbc