Choo Mi-ae on 'One-Eyed' Expression Controversy: "Not Disrespecting Disabled... Pointing Out Media Bias"

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae expressed, regarding the controversy over the use of the term "one-eyed," "I cannot help but express my sincere regret over the misreading and distortion of a very limited expression."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae expressed displeasure, saying, "I cannot help but express my sincere regret over some politicians' misreading and distortion of a very limited expression," after she was embroiled in controversy over using the term 'one-eyed' in the process of defending broadcaster Kim Eo-jun, which was criticized as discriminatory against people with disabilities.

On the 26th, former Minister Choo stated in a post titled "Fact-checking is fundamental" on her Facebook, "Some politicians singled out the word 'one-eyed' and demanded an apology from me, claiming it was 'discriminatory against people with disabilities.'"

She criticized, "They deliberately ignore the fact that Kim Eo-jun's News Factory, which has been more diligent than any other media in fact-checking and maintaining an attitude of truthful reporting based on citizens' right to know, should not be abolished. Meanwhile, media outlets that blatantly engage in political agendas without fact-checking are thriving. It is very regrettable that they have absurdly disparaged the term as 'discriminatory against people with disabilities,' whether intentionally or not."

She added, "As expected, some media outlets waited for such criticism from politicians and reported it extensively without verification," and countered, "Shall we 'fact-check' whether I really used a discriminatory expression against people with disabilities?"

Former Minister Choo explained, "According to the Korean dictionary, 'one-eyed' refers to having only one eye without a pair, or the eye that is open when one closes one eye and looks with the other. The prefix 'oe-' means 'alone' but also 'biased to one side.'"

She emphasized, "In this context, expressions like 'only the one eye has a double eyelid,' 'aiming at a target with one eye,' and 'not blinking one eye' do not refer to people with visual disabilities, nor are they discriminatory against people with disabilities."

She reiterated her displeasure, saying, "I pointed out the bias of the media that turns a blind eye to the truth and reports with a one-eyed perspective, colluding with vested interests. I deeply regret that Assemblymembers Jang Hye-young and Lee Sang-min misread the context and distorted my meaning."

Earlier, former Minister Choo argued regarding criticism of bias in TBS Radio's "Kim Eo-jun's News Factory," stating, "It is wrong to criticize News Factory, which reports with both eyes open, unlike the media that reports with one eye."

In response, Justice Party Assemblymember Jang Hye-young, who has a younger sibling with developmental disabilities, pointed out it was a "discriminatory remark against disabilities" and demanded an apology. Assemblymember Lee Sang-min of the Democratic Party of Korea, who had polio as a child and has difficulty walking, also called it a "below-standard expression" and urged correction.

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