Kim Byung-joon: "I'm a Feminist with Two Daughters... Only Women Wear Brooches"

"Jo Dong-yeon Pretty Brooch" Expression Criticized as 'Misogynistic'; Apology Issued on the Same Day

Kim Byung-joon, Standing Election Committee Chairman of the People Power Party. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Kim Byung-joon, co-chairman of the People Power Party's joint election countermeasures committee, clarified that his description of Cho Dong-yeon, co-chairman of the Democratic Party's joint election countermeasures committee, as a "pretty brooch" was not aimed at women but was a critique of recruiting someone with a flashy but superficial background.

On the 1st, Kim released a statement saying, "Accessories are not worn only by women," and rebutted, "Isn't there already suspicion that her flashy career is not true?"

He pointed out, "Maybe because I am a feminist with only two daughters, I am surprised by the perception that only women use accessories or brooches," adding, "It is truly astonishing that there are still people who think this way, especially those affiliated with a major political party."

He further stated, "There are criticisms that the expression was used because Cho Dong-yeon is a woman, but I would have used the same expression if she were a man," and insisted, "The Democratic Party should stop the act of recruiting people with good backgrounds to distort their identity."

Earlier, Kim appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and, regarding the Democratic Party's recruitment of Cho, said, "It felt like an accessory," and criticized, "She has not been significantly involved in mass movements, has no experience managing large organizations, and has not fully demonstrated her capabilities as a scholar. Although it is not an appropriate analogy, it was like wearing combat clothes with a very pretty brooch attached."

The ruling party reacted strongly, calling it "female disparagement." Chief spokesperson Ko Yong-jin issued a statement saying, "Describing a recruit of a major political party as an ornament reflects his worldview and level of consciousness," and criticized, "Kim's remarks are anachronistic and a serious insult to the person, who is a security expert and female educator."

Meanwhile, Cho is the first recruit of the Democratic Party's election committee and is known as an expert in the aerospace field. She graduated from the Korea Military Academy and served in the Iraq Zaytun Division and the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command for 17 years. She earned a master's degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School in the U.S. Currently, she is an assistant professor in the Department of Military Studies at Seokyeong University and concurrently serves as the head of the Future Defense Technology Startup Center.