South Korean Mayor Apologises After 'Import Women' Remark To Boost Birth Rate Sparks Outrage

Last Updated:February 09, 2026, 16:26 IST

The comments were made last week by Kim Hee-soo, mayor of Jindo County, during a town hall meeting.

A provincial government in South Korea has issued an apology after a local mayor suggested bringing in young women from Southeast Asia to help raise the country’s low birth rate.

The comments were made last week by Kim Hee-soo, mayor of Jindo County, during a town hall meeting. Speaking about population decline in rural areas, Kim said small villages could survive by matching unmarried men with women from countries such as Vietnam or Sri Lanka.

“We should import young women from Vietnam or Sri Lanka so that young men in rural areas can marry them," he said, using language that quickly drew strong criticism.

The remarks were widely condemned in South Korean media and on social platforms, with many accusing the mayor of treating women as commodities. The comments also caused a diplomatic reaction, with reports saying the Vietnamese embassy in Seoul lodged a formal complaint.

Over the weekend, the South Jeolla provincial government, which oversees Jindo County, moved to contain the backlash. In a public statement, a spokesperson said the province “deeply apologise for the inappropriate remark made by the Jindo mayor, which has caused deep pain to Vietnamese people and to women".

The spokesperson said the use of the word “import" violated human dignity and objectified women, adding that such language could never be justified “under any circumstances".

Kim himself later issued an apology, admitting he had used “an inappropriate word". He said his intention was not to insult women or foreign nationals, but to raise the issue of labour shortages and marriage migration in ageing rural and fishing communities.

“Amid the severe labour shortages facing rural and fishing communities, the intention was to discuss institutional measures for supporting marriage migration," he said.

South Korea is facing a deep demographic crisis. It has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, as many young people delay or avoid marriage and parenthood due to high living costs and job insecurity.

The government has spent billions of dollars on policies to encourage childbirth and support families, but with limited success. Some population projections suggest that, if current trends continue, South Korea’s population could fall to about 26.8 million by the end of the century, nearly half its current size.

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(With inputs from agencies)

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