Buk-gu Officials Act as "Backup Dancers" on "National Singing Contest"... Ministry of the Interior Steps In

Controversy Over Officials Taking Business Trips to Perform on "National Singing Contest" Stage
Ministry of the Interior and Safety Launches Investigation... KBS States "Unrelated to Broadcast"
Mayor Moon In: "Participation Was Voluntary... I Humbly Accept the Concerns"

Controversy is growing after it was revealed that eight female senior officials from the Buk-gu District Office in Gwangju applied for official business trips to dance behind District Mayor Moon In on the stage of KBS's "National Singing Contest." The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has begun to verify the facts, while KBS has distanced itself, stating it was not involved in the performance.

Moon In, Mayor of Buk-gu, Gwangju, who appeared on the National Singing Contest stage. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Buk-gu District Office and other sources on November 14, during the recording of the "National Singing Contest" Buk-gu, Gwangju episode at Dongkang University sports field on November 6, Mayor Moon appeared on stage and sang singer Yoon Soo-il's "Apartment." At the event, eight female officials at the department head and section chief level from Buk-gu District Office wore sunglasses and waved cheering props as they danced behind the mayor, acting as backup dancers. It was confirmed that some of them had also applied for business trips the previous day, citing "preliminary discussions" as the reason.

Criticism has arisen over the fact that the event took place on a weekday as an "official business trip," and that all the staff on stage were women, with claims that "it is unrelated to official duties" and "lacks gender sensitivity." The Gwangju branch of the Public Officials Labor Union stated, "Public officials were used as mere extras," while the Gwangju branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions called it "a clear waste of taxpayers' money."

As the controversy intensified, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety requested Buk-gu District Office by phone the previous day to submit a written explanation. The ministry plans to review the approval process for the trip, its purpose, and whether the time was properly observed. Buk-gu District Office explained, "No travel expenses were paid, and participation was voluntary by the staff."

KBS also released a statement that day, clarifying that the scene in question was not part of the broadcast stage and was not recorded. KBS stated, "It is customary to allow local government heads to greet the audience before filming, but we do not intervene in stage composition or participation. We were not aware that the backup dancers were public officials, and it is not the production team's responsibility to check business trip status." This scene will not be included in the main broadcast of the "Buk-gu, Gwangju" episode scheduled to air on February 15 next year.

Mayor Moon In apologized, saying, "I placed a burden on members of the organization." He added, "The decision to apply for a business trip was made individually by each staff member," and "There was no prior rehearsal or payment of travel expenses." The senior official who participated as a backup dancer also explained, "There was no directive to do so."

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