Kim Ki-hyun and Choi Kang-wook clash over "female dogs running wild" slur, calling it "social evil and third-rate politics"

Former Lawmaker Choi Kang-wook Sparks Controversy with "Female Running Amok" Remark at Min Hyung-bae's Book Launch... Kim's Harsh Criticism Calling Korea a "Polluted Social Evil"

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, strongly criticized former Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Kang-wook's 'female' remark as a "social evil" and "third-rate politics." Although the ruling and opposition parties agreed to stop wasteful political conflicts following the by-election for the mayor of Gangseo District, Seoul last month, the level of criticism has recently been rising again.

On the 21st, Kim mentioned Choi's remark on Facebook, saying, "Whenever it seems to be forgotten, the Democratic Party's habit of using abusive language and derogatory remarks flares up again, angering the public," adding, "At this point, it is no exaggeration to say that it is a social evil polluting the Republic of Korea with hateful and divisive low-level third-rate politics."

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 16th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Kim continued, "Not only is the boundless frivolity and vulgarity shocking, but I cannot help but ask whether the behavior of insulting women collectively by calling them ‘female’ while criticizing the Yoon Seok-yeol government can come from normal thinking," and pointed out, "The Democratic Party's behavior of shamelessly using abusive language and derogation solely for political conflict, inciting conflict, division, and hatred, is undoubtedly a regressive behavior that must disappear from the Republic of Korea."

On the 19th, former lawmaker Choi attended a book launch event for Democratic Party lawmaker Min Hyung-bae and criticized the Yoon Seok-yeol government, saying, "In George Orwell's book Animal Farm, female animals rarely appear and cause a fuss," and added, "I am not using ‘female’ as a derogatory term; causing a fuss means calling a female a female."

As the ruling and opposition parties enter full-scale general election mode, they have recently raised the level of remarks targeting each other. On the 14th, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min posted on Facebook calling Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon a 'beast,' sparking a 'verbal abuse controversy.' In response, Jang Ye-chan, the youth supreme council member of the People Power Party, countered on Facebook on the 15th, saying, "To the public with common sense, Kim Yong-min, who lowers the level of the National Assembly by forming a clique like Cheoreomhwe, is not a beast but political trash."

Earlier, on the 24th of last month, the ruling and opposition parties signed a 'gentlemen's agreement' to move away from political conflicts and showed restraint in using abusive language and harsh criticism toward each other. Even during President Yoon Seok-yeol's policy speech to the National Assembly at the end of last month, there were no loud voices or abusive language inside the chamber.