Was "Poverty Porn" Appropriate? The Reason Behind the Political Debate

Ruling Party's "Why suddenly use the word 'porn'?" backlash
Lee Jun-seok targets ruling party: "Those obsessed with porn should regain reason"
Lee Won-wook: "Jang Kyung-tae should apologize... Mrs. Kim's promotion method is problematic"

First Lady Kim Keon-hee visited children with congenital heart disease in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. / Provided by the Presidential Office

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] A political controversy continues over photos of First Lady Kim Geon-hee visiting vulnerable groups in Cambodia. Jang Kyung-tae, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the photos as "poverty porn," prompting the People Power Party to strongly oppose, saying, "How can you use the word 'porn'?" Jang argued that "poverty porn" is a term found in dictionaries, but opinions differ on the appropriateness of the term.

On the 16th, the People Power Party filed a complaint against Supreme Council member Jang with the National Assembly Ethics Special Committee. They claimed that Jang violated the duty to maintain dignity as a lawmaker by disparaging and insulting the First Lady's diplomatic achievements. On the 14th, during the Democratic Party Supreme Council meeting, Jang criticized, "The First Lady's poverty porn photo shoot is causing controversy. Poverty and suffering are never spectacles," which led to harsh backlash from the People Power Party, labeling it as "character assassination" and "anti-women."

Regarding this, Jang appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" and said, "If the First Lady felt discomfort, I may consider expressing regret," but he defended the use of "poverty porn," stating it is a term used in academic papers and media. He added, "There have been criticisms that it is anti-women, but I would appreciate an explanation of what anti-women meaning is contained in the term 'poverty porn.' The word 'pornography' itself encompasses novels, movies, photos, paintings, writings, and videos."

However, the People Power Party seems to react strongly to the sensationalism implied by the term "porn." Floor spokesperson Jang Dong-hyuk said, "How many people who heard the term 'poverty porn' actually looked it up in the Korean dictionary? It already has a negative meaning in society, and I think the expression was deliberately used to convey that negative meaning to the public." Female lawmakers of the People Power Party also issued a statement condemning, "How can visiting the homes of children suffering due to lack of treatment and urging interest and support be compared to a photo shoot, and how can the word 'porn' be used out of nowhere?"

Former People Power Party Leader Lee Jun-seok Facebook

The term also sparked divided opinions within the political sphere. Former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok wrote on Facebook, "Those obsessed with 'porn' have proven they have never considered this long-standing debate. Let's regain reason," indirectly criticizing the ruling party.

Lee said, "We recently lost the four-character idiom yangduguyuk (meaning 'a sheep's head with a dog's meat,' i.e., flashy on the outside but poor inside), and now we are losing the term Poverty Porn, which is a concept that requires intense debate and consideration going forward." During his tenure as party leader, Lee used the idiom yangduguyuk targeting President Yoon Seok-yeol and was criticized by pro-Yoon lawmakers within the party as "disparaging the president." This suggests that in the case of poverty porn, only the controversy over the term itself is being highlighted.

Meanwhile, within the Democratic Party, there were opinions that Jang should apologize. Lawmaker Lee Won-wook said on Facebook, "I think there are some issues with the First Lady's schedule, promotional methods, and attitude," but added, "I fully understand Supreme Council member Jang's intention, but if there is something to apologize for, it should be done. Dignified language is necessary."

Lee also said, "However, what was the First Lady trying to gain through the impoverished areas and sick children of the visited country? It was a concerning scene that seemed to seek the value of humanism through the images of poor and sick children," urging the People Power Party to stop criticizing Supreme Council member Jang.