Song Young-gil Apologizes for 'Butt Tap' Remark: "Will Reflect on Gender Sensitivity"

Song Young-gil, member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Juhee] On the 20th, Song Young-gil, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, apologized for his remarks defending a Korean diplomat accused of sexual harassment of local staff in New Zealand.

In a post on his Facebook on the same day, Song said, "Whether male or female, physical contact without the other party's consent is not acceptable," adding, "My original intention was to say that since this is a matter of dispute, both sides' stories should be heard, but the message was inappropriate."

He continued, "I have pointed out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have conducted a strict investigation initially and taken proper disciplinary action, but instead issued a lenient 'warning.' I should have properly expressed this intention in the interview, but I fell short," bowing his head.

Regarding the incident, Song stated, "In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' investigation in February 2019, the sexual harassment charge was acknowledged, and a salary reduction was imposed. Also, in the investigation of the National Human Rights Commission case that began in November 2018, a decision to accept the complaint was made on the 30th of last month, and the decision document is currently being prepared," adding, "The Human Rights Commission's decision document is expected to be notified to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before early September."

He added, "Including the results of the Human Rights Commission's investigation, I will urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conduct a thorough fact-finding investigation again to resolve the issue," and "I will also ensure strict supervision to prevent such incidents from recurring at overseas diplomatic missions."

He further said, "I will reflect on whether I myself am out of touch with the gender sensitivity of the current era. I apologize for causing unnecessary controversy."

In an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 19th, Song sparked controversy by saying, "The victim was close to the consul who was known as the perpetrator," and "Among close male friends, they sometimes lightly hit each other's stomachs or buttocks."

Regarding the issue of extraditing the diplomat to New Zealand, Song said, "That seems like an 'overreaction'." In response, opposition parties criticized him unanimously, calling it "an act of defending sexual harassment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.