Byeon Chang-heum expresses regret over controversy on 'Women and makeup'... "That’s not the intention" (Comprehensive)

Chairperson Jin Sun-mi Points Out "Concerns Over Promoting Bias Against Women"

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport nominee Byeon Chang-heum is attending the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 23rd, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 23rd, nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Byeon Chang-heum expressed regret after his remark, "Our culture in Korea is that people who do not know each other do not eat breakfast together. Especially for women, eating breakfast together is very delicate because of makeup," sparked controversy.

At the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee confirmation hearing that day, Byeon explained his previous statement during his tenure as president of Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH), where he said, "Poor people cook and eat at home; who in their right mind would buy food to eat?" He said, "I was speaking in the context of whether it is culturally appropriate to reduce kitchens and create shared dining areas assuming breakfast is eaten together."

Byeon stated, "For those with lower economic means, even buying breakfast is a financial burden, so designing the system assuming everyone buys breakfast is problematic," adding, "It is very unfair to leap to the conclusion that 'poor people should not eat out' without context."

Jin Sun-mi, chairperson of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and member of the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed out, "In explaining shared housing, the expression 'women do not eat breakfast because of makeup' was used, which could cause some misunderstanding and concerns about promoting prejudice against women."

Byeon responded, "I meant that when designing facilities for rental housing, it is important to carefully assess user demand," and added, "From the listeners' perspective, it might have caused other misunderstandings. That was not the intention. I express my regret."

Regarding his statement that "car-free residents should be selected for Happy Housing," Byeon said, "Building parking lots requires digging underground, which is very costly," and added, "College students living in rental housing generally do not drive cars."

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