"'Gyeonggi Mom' Emphasized but Sent Child to the US for Elite Early Study Abroad"
"Is She Qualified to Talk About Korean Education While Keeping Her Son's School Records There?"
On the afternoon of the 9th, at SK Broadband Suwon Broadcasting in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Kim Dong-yeon, the Democratic Party candidate, and Kim Eun-hye, the People Power Party candidate, posed before the start of the debate for the Gyeonggi Province governor candidates for the June 1 local elections, hosted by the Gyeonggi Journalists Club, Incheon Journalists Club, and Incheon Gyeonggi Reporters Association. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] On the 15th, about two weeks before the June 1 local elections, the two candidates for Gyeonggi Province governor, Kim Eun-hye of the People Power Party and Kim Dong-yeon of the Democratic Party, clashed over controversies surrounding the overseas study and dual citizenship of each other's sons.
On this day, Baek Hye-ryeon, chief spokesperson for Kim Dong-yeon's campaign, stated in a commentary, "Candidate Kim Eun-hye has announced pledges to 'eliminate educational disparities and level up Gyeonggi education' and has emphasized herself as a 'Gyeonggi mom,'" adding, "However, in reality, it has been revealed that she is an 'American mom' who sent her child to the U.S. for privileged early study abroad."
She continued, "According to media reports, Kim Eun-hye's son is attending a boarding school in the U.S. that is known for enrolling the top tier, with annual expenses reportedly reaching about 100 million won," and criticized, "While Kim Eun-hye prominently advocates for eliminating educational disparities in Gyeonggi Province, behind the scenes she sent only her own child for privileged early study abroad to enjoy 'special opportunities and disparities.'"
Spokesperson Baek said, "Excluding her own child from her 'eliminating educational disparities' pledge is a typical hypocritical behavior of a billionaire, treating her own child as 'special,'" and urged, "Candidate Kim Eun-hye, the 'fake Gyeonggi mom' who has driven a nail into the heart of the 'real Gyeonggi mom,' should offer a sincere apology."
In response to these claims, Lee Hyung-seop, spokesperson for Kim Eun-hye's campaign, also issued a statement on the same day, asserting, "According to media reports, Candidate Kim Dong-yeon's son was born in the U.S. in 1992, acquired U.S. citizenship, and completed elementary, middle, and university education all in the U.S., receiving federal scholarships and tuition discounts available only to nationals (Americans)."
He added, "This is a point that inevitably causes relative deprivation among international students who bear tuition fees several times higher as Korean nationals, not dual citizens," and questioned, "Given his son's status, does he have the qualification to speak about education in Gyeonggi Province or even education in the Republic of Korea?"
Lee further stated, "Is his son's dual citizenship still ongoing? Is he currently exploiting nationality laws to selectively enjoy benefits from both Korea and the U.S.?" and criticized, "It is utterly low to take the privileges enjoyed by one's own family for granted while politically exploiting past poverty and 'dirt spoon' stories. Respond to the dual citizenship controversy."
Meanwhile, regarding the 'son's dual citizenship' attack, Kim Eun-hye's side released a statement on the 15th, saying, "The second son was born while Candidate Kim was studying abroad at the University of Michigan. Even when attending school in the U.S., he went to a regular public school, not an expensive prestigious private school," and added, "Later, while attending graduate school, he answered the nation's call and enlisted in the army as an active-duty soldier, completing his service as a sergeant after 21 months from September 2015 to June 2017."
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