[Summary] Choo Mi-ae Faces 'One-Eyed' Controversy While Defending Kim Eo-jun... Political Circles and Disability Groups Also Involved

Choo Mi-ae "One-eyed not meant to refer to visually impaired"
Jang Hye-young "Lack of intent doesn't mean no discrimination"
Disability groups "It's derogatory... must apologize"

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] The expression "one-eyed" mentioned by former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae in the process of defending broadcaster Kim Eo-jun is spreading controversy over disability discrimination. Former Minister Chu emphasized the dictionary meaning, calling it a "misreading of context," but both ruling and opposition parties as well as disability organizations pointed out that it was indeed a discriminatory remark.

The controversy over former Minister Chu's alleged disability discrimination began on the 23rd when she criticized, on Facebook, "Unlike the media that reports with one eye, it is wrong to criticize 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' which reports with both eyes." At that time, the expression "one-eyed" became problematic.

Jang Hye-young, a Justice Party lawmaker who has a sibling with developmental disabilities, demanded an apology, calling it a "disability hate speech." Lee Sang-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker who had polio as a child and has difficulty walking, also urged correction, calling it a "below-standard expression."

Criticism also came from within the ruling party, but former Minister Chu expressed displeasure again on the 26th through Facebook, saying, "Lawmakers Jang and Lee misread the context and distorted my meaning. I find this very regrettable."

She referred to the dictionary definition of "one-eyed," emphasizing, "The prefix 'one-' can mean 'alone,' but it also means 'biased to one side.' In this context, the expression 'only one eye has a double eyelid' does not refer to visually impaired people, and it is certainly not discriminatory against people with disabilities." She added, "I was pointing out the bias of the media that turns a blind eye to the truth and colludes with vested interests, reporting with one eye."

Former Minister Chu's explanation further fueled the controversy. Lawmaker Lee criticized on Facebook, saying, "The essence that former Minister Chu is missing is that the standard for judging whether something is discriminatory, hateful, or derogatory is how the other party perceives it." She added, "Since 'one-eyed' was used as a metaphor for the negative meaning of media bias, it is clearly a discriminatory and derogatory remark."

Lawmaker Jang also said, "Former Minister Chu is misreading my statement," explaining, "The dictionary meaning of 'one-eyed' is not important; rather, the word 'one-eyed' was used as a metaphor to imply something less valuable or biased compared to 'both eyes,' and that is exactly why it is discriminatory."

The People Power Party also launched an offensive. Deputy Spokesperson Park Ki-nyung said, "It is no wonder what the Ministry of Justice was like when the former Minister of Justice is so oblivious to public sentiment and only insists on her own views," adding, "Instead of making pitiful excuses and trying to lecture the public, she should learn how to apologize when an apology is needed."

The Korea Federation of Organizations of the Disabled also issued a statement on the 26th, saying, "Former Minister Chu Mi-ae's 'one-eyed' remark is indeed discriminatory against people with disabilities," and urged, "Former Minister Chu should sincerely apologize to the disabled people who may have been hurt by this remark."

The organization expressed concern, saying, "Although former Minister Chu said she had no intention to discriminate, listeners may feel uncomfortable, and it can deepen socially incorrect perceptions. Using inappropriate terms can lead to negative misunderstandings about disabilities, and the explanation that there was no intention may appear as if 'it is acceptable to use such terms if there is no intention.'"

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