"Too Unfair"...It's a Printing Cost Issue from 30 Years Ago

Explanation Regarding the ‘Gender Sensitivity’ Controversy Involving the Mayor of Mapo District

"I feel very wronged. It is not right to criticize based solely on expressions without understanding the meaning of the text."

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, expressed his disappointment on the 18th regarding a media report that claimed his phrase "leaving a female reporter as collateral" in his previous declaration of candidacy for Mapo District Mayor contained misogynistic content.

Mapo District explained that the misunderstanding arose during the process of excerpting content from the former mayor’s book, CEO at Twenty-Nine (photo), but criticism has been spreading on social media that his use of such expressions in the declaration for the 7th local election indicates a lack of ‘gender sensitivity,’ which makes him feel even more wronged.

On the same day, the district issued a statement addressing the gender sensitivity controversy. Without introducing or confirming the various women’s policies currently being promoted by the mayor or the long-term vision, it expressed regret that a social evaluation was applied after a considerable time had passed to expressions that reflected the remorse and sorrow felt toward female employees about 30 years ago, when social sentiments and customs were different from today.

Mayor Park explained that about 30 years ago, as the owner of a small media company, he was unable to immediately pay the printing costs, and the printing shop owner prevented the newspapers from being taken out. He made an unreasonable demand, saying, "You can leave the female employee behind; surely you wouldn’t abandon your staff," and the female employee voluntarily complied. The phrase was written with feelings of sorrow and regret about that situation.

He countered that this was an unfair incident caused by the printing shop owner’s abuse of power, which brought tears to their eyes.

He also explained that he promptly raised the money and returned with the female employee, citing this as an example.

It appears he expressed disappointment about the way this incident from 30 years ago was reported.

Mapo District stated, "In the 8th local government term, Mapo District has opened the Women’s Companion Center for gender sensitivity education and counseling on sexual and domestic violence, signed agreements with related organizations to support women’s employment and entrepreneurship, operated a safety monitoring team to inspect women’s safety facilities and crack down on illegal filming devices, provided sanitary products for female adolescents, built the Sunlight Center to support pregnancy and childbirth, and is carrying out over 50 various women-friendly policies."

Furthermore, Mapo District said it is leading efforts to create a gender-equal community and spread a culture of gender equality, and was selected for the first time in Seoul as a Women-Friendly City for three consecutive times last March.

In particular, the district explained that in the 8th local government term, it has a mid- to long-term plan for creating a women-friendly city, conducting research projects and establishing detailed implementation plans, and is making its best efforts for gender equality policies.

Nevertheless, it reiterated that the book containing emotions felt decades ago and the candidacy declaration written in 2018 for the 7th simultaneous local elections, which only excerpted parts with rhetorical expressions, are fragmentary matters unrelated to gender sensitivity.

It also conveyed that rather than judging based on past remarks, a comprehensive judgment including current and future women-related policy projects is required.

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