Jang Kyung-tae's Controversy Over 'Poverty Porn' Remarks: Two Perspectives Within the Democratic Party

"Knowing what they're thinking, can't they use a different expression?",
"Why fight over this instead of people's livelihood?"
vs
"The issue with First Lady Kim Keon-hee, involving a 14-year-old child",
"Who plans the First Lady's schedule?"

Jang Kyung-tae, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 21st, making remarks regarding the investigation progress of First Lady Kim Keon-hee. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The controversy surrounding Jang Kyung-tae, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, over his remarks about "poverty porn" has sparked mixed reactions of criticism and support both inside and outside the party.

On the 21st, a senior Democratic Party lawmaker mentioned "poverty porn" in relation to Kim Geon-hee, wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol, during her visit to children with heart disease in Cambodia. Subsequently, Supreme Council member Jang criticized, "Setting up lighting during a diplomatic visit, which was not a relief activity and involved children who are not even from their own country, broke an international taboo."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, the Presidential Office stated, "There was no use of lighting at all," and criticized, "Fabricating falsehoods to disparage Mrs. Kim’s activities and adding the absurd expression of an international taboo is an act that damages national dignity and interests."

A senior lawmaker within the party said, "While I can understand what Supreme Council member Jang was trying to point out, attaching Mrs. Kim to it is uncomfortable," adding, "Highlighting the dark side of that country might have been a diplomatic faux pas." The lawmaker continued, "Mrs. Kim should have tried to show the beautiful aspects of the country rather than the dark side. If that had been the case, it would have been more persuasive. The term used was strange," and said, "It would have been better if he had spoken in a way that ordinary citizens could agree with."

Regarding this, Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Won-wook said on social media on the 16th, "The term 'poverty porn' is not actually an insult. It is an official term found in portal dictionaries and is not a language used to sexually insult women," but added, "We need dignified language." Lee said, "Within the term 'poverty porn,' criticism disappears and only the loss of dignity remains," and urged, "I hope Council member Jang pursues politics using new youth language."

Former Emergency Committee Chairperson of the Democratic Party, Park Ji-hyun, also pointed out on social media that day, "Supreme Council member Jang, who caused controversy with his remarks on poverty porn and the Kim Geon-hee lighting issue, should be silenced." Park criticized, "The opposition party with the highest number of seats in history is facing the most incompetent ruling party ever, yet I cannot understand how they are so bad at fighting," and added, "The Democratic Party has become a party that cannot focus on protecting the economy and people’s livelihoods, with no strategy or direction, only rampant individual plays."

However, within the party leadership, support for Supreme Council member Jang has strengthened. On the same day, Democratic Party Supreme Council member Seo Young-kyo said in a public Supreme Council speech, "There have been many discussions about the photo of the First Lady holding a child and the photo of actress Audrey Hepburn holding a child. There are reports in academia that children were used as ‘fashion accessories.’" She added, "The child Mrs. Kim is holding with both hands is 14 years old, but would any child feel comfortable?"

Supreme Council member Jang also countered the Presidential Office’s explanation regarding the lighting use, asking, "Who exactly were the First Lady’s aides?" He clarified, "I am not curious about the bodyguards. I am not curious about the aides’ ages or contact information. I am asking how many aides there were, how many were part of the filming team, and which organizations they belonged to." He said, "We have requested materials several times at the National Assembly’s Budget and Accounts Committee," and questioned, "Who planned Mrs. Kim’s schedule?" He criticized, "The Presidential Office should apologize and discipline those responsible for failing to cooperate with Cambodia in treating it as an equal country in diplomacy, improving the image of the host country of the summit, and for using children as a means to promote poverty and suffering."

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