Overheated 4·7 By-Election Race, Invisible 'Sensitivity to Discrimination'

'Dementia Patients' and 'Ajumma'... Discriminatory Remarks Pouring Out Regardless of Party Affiliation

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] As the fierce election battle continues ahead of the April 7 Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections, both ruling and opposition parties are making discriminatory remarks that do not consider socially vulnerable groups. Although social demands to respect the diversity of members such as women and people with disabilities are increasing, politicians' awareness of equality remains stuck in the past.

Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor

On the 26th, Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, criticized the Moon Jae-in administration's real estate policy during a campaign speech in front of Jungmi Station in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, saying, “When I pointed out during the speech that ‘the people are in an uproar over rising housing prices, but the president says the real estate market is stable, as if he were a severe dementia patient,’ I was told it was an excessive expression,” and added, “Can the opposition not even use such expressions?” This was a figurative expression used to criticize President Moon for consistently acting against public sentiment, but it can be discriminatory toward actual dementia patients.

On the same day, Oh Se-hoon's campaign put up a banner stating that they would fully reconsider the reconstruction of Gangseo Eoullim Plaza, the country's first complex cultural and welfare facility used jointly by people with and without disabilities, but removed it after criticism from the disability community.

That day, Kang Sun-woo, spokesperson for Park Young-sun's campaign, introduced herself on Facebook as a mother raising a child with developmental disabilities and pointed out, “Oh Se-hoon candidate, no matter how precious votes are, let's not pledge discrimination against us.” The Seoul Disabled Independent Living Center Federation also criticized Oh, saying, “Is the promise you boldly presented on the first day of the campaign to ruthlessly destroy Eoullim Plaza, a complex space that is the hope of 400,000 disabled people in Seoul?” Subsequently, Kim Cheol-geun, spokesperson and local party committee chair for the Gangseo-byeong district, said, “The banner was put up based on local judgment without consultation with the central campaign committee and was immediately removed,” and “We sincerely apologize.”

Ahn Cheol-soo, Leader of the People Party

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People Party who unified candidacy with Oh, appeared on the YouTube channel ‘Lee Bong-gyu TV’ on the 22nd before the unification and sparked controversy by saying about Park Young-sun of the Democratic Party, “A woman who owns an apartment in Tokyo is a sufficiently viable opponent.”

The term ‘ajumma’ is a derogatory expression for older women and also reflects a lack of gender sensitivity. Later, Ahn explained, “Actually, I am also a man without a house, so I did not expect the remark to be taken that way,” but the controversy did not easily subside and was pointed out as one of the reasons he lost in the final candidate unification process.

Lee Nak-yeon, Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea

During the election period, gender-discriminatory remarks also continued within the ruling Democratic Party. Lee Nak-yeon, the Democratic Party leader and co-chair of the campaign committee, referred to candidate Park on the same day at the campaign committee, saying, “A candidate who has the mindset to care for children with a mother’s heart and help the elderly with a daughter’s feelings.” In response, Cho Hye-min, spokesperson for the Justice Party, issued a statement criticizing, “He repeatedly made discriminatory remarks by imposing a ‘gender role frame’ on his own Seoul mayoral candidate,” and pointed out, “The perception that caregiving is a woman’s duty is deplorable.”

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