A South Korean county governor has been expelled from his party after sparking outrage by suggesting “importing young virgins” from overseas to solve the country’s plunging birthrate.

Kim Hee-soo, 71, governor of Jindo County, in South Jeolla Province, made the comments during a live-streamed town hall meeting that was broadcast live online on 4th February.

Addressing the issue of population decline, Kim said that if legislative efforts failed, authorities might have to “import young virgins from Sri Lanka or Vietnam” so rural bachelors could marry.

He added that revitalising industry alone would not solve depopulation without broader measures.

The comments triggered immediate backlash, with local media reporting widespread criticism that the language was sexist, racist and dehumanising.

Women’s rights groups accused him of commodifying women and reducing them to tools of population policy, calling the statement a serious violation of human rights and announcing plans to protest and demand his resignation.

The Democratic Party of Korea’s National Women’s Committee said the remarks reflected a view of women as “childbearing tools” and that describing people as objects for “import” undermined human dignity and was incompatible with the responsibilities of a public official.

Facing mounting criticism, Kim issued a public apology on 5th February, saying he had intended to emphasise the need for stronger institutional responses to population decline but acknowledged his wording was inappropriate and pledged to prevent a recurrence.

The fallout extended beyond domestic politics. On 6th February, the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul sent a formal letter to the South Jeolla provincial government and the Jindo County office expressing regret, stating that the remarks harmed the dignity of Vietnamese women and could negatively affect bilateral relations.

South Jeolla Province later issued its own apology and sent formal letters to both the Vietnamese and Sri Lankan embassies.

The Democratic Party moved swiftly to discipline him. On 9th February, its Supreme Council voted unanimously at a closed-door meeting to expel Kim from the party.

Senior spokesperson Park Soo-hyun said that Kim’s remarks had violated party values and ethics and seriously damaged its reputation.

With the expulsion, Kim immediately lost his party membership and backing.

(Aloysius Fernandes /Newsflash)