Khaberni - The local authorities in South Korea apologized for comments made by one of their officials days ago about the need to "import women" to increase the fertility rate.
Kim Hee-soo, the mayor of Jindo, had proposed last week that remote villages in his country import women from Vietnam or Sri Lanka for marriage.
These statements caused outrage in the local press and diplomatic tension. Local media reported that the Vietnamese ambassador in Seoul had filed a formal complaint.
At the end of the week, the local authorities in South Jeolla (where Jindo is located) apologized for the official's remarks.
A spokesperson said that using the phrase "import" women "offends human dignity."
The official himself also apologized and acknowledged that he had used an "inappropriate" word.
It is noted that South Korea records the lowest fertility rates in the world. According to several estimates, the population will halve by the end of the century, reaching 26.8 million people.
