Jang Kyung-tae: "'Poverty Porn' Is a Term Found in Dictionaries... Apology Needed for Diplomatic Insult"

Jang Kyung-tae: "The principle of not tarnishing the host country's honor has been violated; an apology is needed for this diplomatic rudeness"

Democratic Party lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae is questioning during the National Assembly audit of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency held on the 11th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Jang Kyung-tae, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 15th, responded to the controversy over his remark criticizing First Lady Kim Keon-hee's activities during President Yoon Suk-yeol's Southeast Asia tour as a "poverty porn photo shoot," stating that "it is a term already present in the media and beforehand."

Jang appeared on YTN Radio that day and said, "It is content also found on the Korean Red Cross website, and some people misunderstand it strangely, but it is not that kind of term."

He argued, "From Cambodia's perspective as the host country, would they want to show their country as poor or sick? Since that is not the case, they invited us to tourist sites such as Angkor Wat, but she did not participate in that schedule and instead visited the home of a sick patient."

He added, "She violated the fundamental diplomatic principle of not damaging the host country's honor," and said, "It would be better if she offered a sincere apology for the diplomatic faux pas." Regarding Kim's private schedule and revealing her activities later through press releases, he said, "Where is the 'self-praise'? Praise comes from witnesses posting things like 'The First Lady came and worked so hard like this.'"

Earlier, Jang mentioned at the Democratic Party Supreme Council meeting the day before, "First Lady Kim's poverty porn photo shoot is causing controversy." In response, the People Power Party decided to file a complaint against Jang with the National Assembly Ethics Special Committee for damaging dignity.

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