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DP Rep. Kim Moon-soo resigns after controversial remarks on gender, military service

Published: 13 May. 2025, 15:50

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Moon-soo as pictured in photo uploaded to his Facebook page. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Kim Moon-soo announced his resignation Tuesday from a key election campaign post after drawing backlash for controversial remarks related to gender and military service compensation.

The lawmaker previously said that "women will receive additional points for childbirth" in relation to DP presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's pledge to grant mandatory seniority credit for military service.

Kim issued a formal apology for his remarks in a Facebook post around noon on Tuesday.

“I sincerely apologize for causing discomfort and concern to many people,” he wrote.

“Although it was a private response [irrelevant to Lee's pledges], I acknowledge my poor choice of words and apologize to anyone who was hurt by it. This incident reminded me once again that politicians must always speak with caution, in both public and private settings.”

Kim said he would step down from his role in the DP’s election campaign. He had been serving as deputy chief of the campaign's public outreach team.

“I will take responsibility for this matter and resign from my position at the central election committee,” he said, adding, “I will listen to the voices of the people with greater humility. I once again offer my sincere apology to everyone who felt uncomfortable.”

The controversy began when a private text exchange between Kim and a voter surfaced on social media.

In the conversation, Kim explained that women could receive additional credit for childbirth, similar to the military service bonus for men.

"Women will have childbirth bonus points and there will be military bonus points. Men who did not serve in the military will not get the bonus. That means it's not an issue of gender,” he wrote.

He added that “the final version of the pledge has not been confirmed yet.”

The message quickly spread online, sparking criticism from female voters.

Many questioned whether the childbirth bonus unfairly excluded women who have not had children, arguing it created a reductive view of women’s roles.

The DP's election campaign team responded with a statement the same day, saying “The Democratic Party has neither discussed nor considered a childbirth bonus point system.”

Kim represents Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gokseong and Gurye in South Jeolla. He recently garnered attention for removing banners with his name after receiving complaints that people were confusing him with People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, who shares the same name and even Chinese characters.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]