There was criticism that the Democratic Party lacks a gender-sensitive perspective after Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-Rae and former Presidential Office Senior Secretary for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Future Planning Ha Jeong-Woo told a first-grade elementary school girl to say “oppa.”

The Korean Women’s Associations United issued a commentary on the 5th, stating, “The Democratic Party should clearly recognize the absence of a gender-sensitive perspective through this incident and examine perceptions and practices within the party.”

The organization said, “A campaign site is a public space where voter-citizens and candidates meet, and where candidates communicate their policies and visions,” and added, “In a public space, telling a member of the future generation, who is also a voter-citizen, to call someone ‘oppa’ plainly reveals the absence of a gender-sensitive perspective.”

It also said, “In social relations, the address ‘oppa’ has been criticized in Korea’s patriarchal society as a symbol of a male-centered power structure that places women in a subordinate position,” and added, “As criticism spread, Representative Jeong apologized, saying, ‘I am sorry to the child who would have been hurt and to the parents, as the child stood at the center of the controversy,’ but this apology as well is far from the essence of the problem.”

The organization said, “What stands at the center of the controversy and criticism are the leader of the ruling party and the Democratic Party,” and added, “As a politician, Representative Jeong should face the problem with his own remarks and recognize more sternly the social responsibility that politicians’ words carry in public spaces.”

Criticism of the ‘oppa’ remark also poured in from the opposition, including the People Power Party. Park Min-Sik, former Minister of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, who declared his candidacy in Busan Buk-gap as a member of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook, “Representative Jeong Cheong-Rae of the Democratic Party telling an elementary school student to call former Senior Secretary Ha Jeong-Woo ‘oppa’did you come to create the future of Buk-gu by getting an elementary school student to say oppa?” and added, “Is this something that should come from the mouth of a politician who came to look after people’s livelihoods?”

Seong Il-Jong, a People Power Party lawmaker, wrote on Facebook, “As a father of a daughter, I cannot remain silent,” adding, “The sight of 62-year-old Representative Jeong Cheong-Rae and 50-year-old candidate Ha Jeong-Woo forcing a first-grade elementary school girl to ‘try calling me oppa’ is truly embarrassing.”

Earlier, on the 3rd at Gupo Market in Busan, Representative Jeong, while campaigning with former Senior Secretary Ha, who is running in the Buk-gap by-election, met a child and asked, “What grade are you in?” He then said, “This is Jeong-Woo oppa. Try saying oppa.” Candidate Ha also said, “Oppa.” The two then took a commemorative photo with the child.

As the remarks became controversial, Representative Jeong said in a statement that day, “Regarding the situation during the visit to Gupo Market, I apologize to the child who would have been hurt by standing at the center of the controversy and to the child’s parents.”

Candidate Ha also said in a statement, “In the course of meeting local residents, the child came to stand at the center of the controversy,” and added, “I offer an apology to the child who would have been hurt and to the parents.” He said, “I will be more careful and meet residents with a low and humble attitude.”

▼ Reporter Kim Song-Yi songyi@khan.kr · Reporter Kim Han-Sol hansol@khan.kr