'Concubine Remark Controversy' Jo Su-jin: "Due to Lack of Maturity... I Will Not Repeat the Same Mistake"

Rep. So Su-jin of the People Power Party. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 8th, Jo Sujin, a member of the People Power Party who caused controversy by comparing Go Minjung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, to a concubine of the Joseon Dynasty, asked not to hold back on advice and criticism, saying, "I will not repeat the same mistake."

On that day, Jo posted on her Facebook, saying, "As I enter my second year in the National Assembly, I look back on my first year from a new starting point."

She said, "Observing the field and directly participating were 180 degrees different. Although it was unfamiliar and clumsy, there was a sense of reward and achievement with the support and encouragement of many people," but added, "There were times when my enthusiasm unintentionally hurt others. It was due to my lack of self-discipline."

Earlier, on the 27th of last month, Jo mocked Go, who criticized former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, by comparing her to a concubine of the Joseon Dynasty. Jo said, "Go, who is cherished and loved by the Moon Jae-in administration, mocked former Mayor Oh, who competed in the April general election last year. It is utterly vulgar," and sarcastically added, "Even a concubine of the Joseon Dynasty who bore a prince would not have been treated like this."

As the controversy grew, Jo expressed her apology and deleted the problematic post. At that time, she said, "I regret that the criticism caused controversy contrary to the original intention." Since then, Jo has refrained from making political statements on her Facebook.

Along with this, Jo also shared her reflections on being fined 800,000 won for violating the Public Official Election Act. She said, "Taking the judgment as consolation, I decided to stop struggling with feelings of frustration, regret, and unfairness," and added, "To fully meet the expectations of those who support me, I will devote myself to my legislative activities in the second year with a new and extraordinary mindset."

Previously, the first trial court recognized the charges such as false disclosure of property details as factual but stated, "It does not appear that the false statements about property were made intentionally and systematically, and it is difficult to judge that it had a decisive impact on the election of the National Assembly member," sentencing a lighter penalty than the disqualification sentence (a fine of 1 million won).

Finally, Jo said, "I will take the first year as a lesson and strive to make up for my shortcomings. The second year will definitely be different," and added, "If there is still something I have not realized, please harshly whip me anytime."

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