Seoul: The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has decided to expel the head of Jindo County following controversial comments he made regarding the "importation" of foreign women to address population decline issues. The DP's Supreme Council reached a unanimous decision on Monday to remove Kim Hee-su, the county chief of Jindo in South Jeolla Province, due to his derogatory statements.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the decision was made after Kim suggested during a televised town hall meeting that young women from Vietnam and Sri Lanka be brought in to marry young men in rural areas. His comments, made last Wednesday, sparked public outrage and led to a backlash that included a formal protest from the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul.

Kim issued an apology a day after his remarks, claiming that his intention was to highlight the structural challenges faced by rural regions, such as severe population decline and weakening marriage foundations. He also mentioned the need for a merger between South Jeolla Province and Gwangju as part of his rationale.

In response to the incident, the South Jeolla Province administration apologized to the Vietnamese Embassy, the Vietnamese government, and the Vietnamese people, as well as to the women who were affected by Kim's inappropriate comments.