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Gwangju mayor criticized for singing 'business trip' with female civil servants dancing backup

Published: 13 Nov. 2025, 18:27

Gwangju Buk District Mayor Moon In appears on stage during a taping of “National Singing Contest” (1980-). [YONHAP]

Gwangju city office is under fire for having only female civil servants serve as backup dancers for the district mayor, aggravated by the fact that the officials filed their absences from work as “business trips.”

KBS filmed the Gwangju Buk District episode of the weekly “National Singing Contest” (1980-) program last Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Dongkang College athletic field, according to Buk District officials on Thursday. The 2.5-hour recording drew around 1,000 participants, including Buk District Mayor Moon In, district council members and local residents.

During the event, Moon took the stage to sing “Apartment,” a 1982 hit song by singer Yoon Soo-il. Eight female senior officials from the district office performed as his backup dancers. Wearing sunglasses and scarves tied around their heads, the officials stood behind Moon throughout the performance, waving props and cheering.

But the city office was heavily criticized after it was revealed that the women had filed official business travel requests in order to attend the weekday event. The eight officials all filed business trip requests on the day of the taping. Two of them also filed for official travel the previous day for “pre-event discussions.”

Critics argue that dancing behind the mayor on a televised stage cannot be considered an official duty and that having only women take on the role reflects poor gender sensitivity.

Audience members watch the live stage of KBS's ″National Singing Contest″ at Dalseo District, Daegu. It is comedian Kim Shin-young's first episode hosting the show in 2022. [YONHAP]

The Gwangju chapter of the government employees’ union issued a statement Thursday saying, “Using civil servants as extras undermines the dignity of other public officials,” adding, “Even if participation was voluntary, the district mayor bears heavy responsibility for allowing it.”

The Gwangju chapter of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions also criticized the district office, saying, “Processing business trips for backup dancing duties is a clear waste of taxpayers’ money,” and adding that the claim of voluntary participation “shows how lacking the district is in gender awareness.”

A Buk District official responded that the officials “voluntarily took the stage after discussing it among close colleagues” and said it was “coincidental” that only women participated.

In 2022, Buk District faced similar criticism when female civil servants and female district council members served as backup dancers for the district mayor during another “National Singing Contest” taping.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]