"Why Did You Have a Disabled Child?" O Tae-won Apologizes for Rash Remarks Caught in Emotion

"Will Be Careful with Words and Actions from Now On"
Ruling Party Ethics Committee Begins Disciplinary Review for Yoon

Oh Tae-won, the mayor of Buk-gu, Busan, who caused controversy by making remarks implying "why did you give birth if you shouldn't have" towards parents of people with developmental disabilities, has issued an apology.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, Mayor Oh posted on social media (SNS), "I sincerely bow my head and apologize to all people with developmental disabilities who have been hurt emotionally, as well as to all people with disabilities and their families." He stated, "I empathize with the very unfortunate situation of parents of people with disabilities who care for their children with all their heart despite difficult circumstances, and I made a thoughtless remark in an emotional moment. I will be more careful with my words and actions in the future to ensure that I do not cause any harm to families of people with disabilities."

He continued, "I believe that for the minimum rights of people with disabilities to be guaranteed and for them to become independent, national-level attention and active support are necessary, and that current policy support under the existing system is insufficient. As the mayor, I will do my best to lead efforts to improve the system for people with disabilities and their families."

O Tae-won, Mayor of Buk-gu, Busan. [Image source=Captured from Mayor Oh's Facebook]

The problematic remark was made during a joint press conference with Gangseo-gu Office on the 17th. At the conference, when Kim Hyung-chan, mayor of Gangseo-gu, said, "What fault do parents of people with developmental disabilities, who must sacrifice their whole lives, have?" and spoke about the need for support for disability facilities, Mayor Oh responded with a remark along the lines of, "If there is a fault, it is that they should not have given birth, but they did." Mayor Oh later explained, "My words came out wrong," and clarified, "I did not intend to belittle people with developmental disabilities; my intention was to express sympathy for their hardships."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party Central Ethics Committee is scheduled to hold a meeting on the 24th to decide whether to discipline Mayor Oh. According to Article 20, Clause 2 of the party regulations, disciplinary action against a party member is possible if they violate current laws, the party constitution, party regulations, or ethical rules, causing harm to the party's development or resulting in loss of public support.