ID :
191759
Wed, 06/29/2011 - 11:40
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/191759
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Gyeonggi governor apologizes for making sexually explicit remarks
SUWON, South Korea, June 29 (Yonhap) -- Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Moon-soo, a presidential aspirant from the ruling Grand National Party, apologized Wednesday for making sexually explicit remarks in connection with a famous ancient Korean novel, called "Chunhyangjeon."
The governor of the nation's most populous province stirred controversy last week by making disparaging remarks on the protagonist of the novel during a meeting with corporate managers.
"Chunhyangjeon," based on long-surviving Korean traditional "pansori" storytelling, is an entangled love story between the leading female protagonist, Chunhyang, who is of low status, her fiance Mongryong and the evil lord Byun Hak-do who is trying to coerce the woman to sleep with him.
The corrupt lord's scheme was foiled at the last moment when the woman's fiance Mongryong intervened as a secret inspector sent by the king to crack down on widespread corruption in local officialdom.
In his meeting with the corporate managers, the governor was quoted as saying, "What is 'Chunhyangjeon' all about? After all, it's about the lord Byun who is trying to deflower Chunhyang, isn't it?"
A number of civic groups in Namwon, a rural town in North Jeolla Province where the folklore is said to have originated issued a statement criticizing the governor for what they called his "insensitive" remarks.
On Wednesday, Kim was apologetic.
"I apologize for my indiscretion," the governor said in a phone interview with CBS Radio. "(My intention) was not to defame 'Chunhyangjeon' but to criticize the corrupt government official, Byun."
Two days earlier, Kim offered an apology, too, for the gaffe in an interview with the local cable news network YTN. Last year, he was forced to apologize after making a series of sexually explicit comments on a local pop group.
A three-time ex-lawmaker, Kim, 60, is a presidential hopeful in 2012 elections.
The governor of the nation's most populous province stirred controversy last week by making disparaging remarks on the protagonist of the novel during a meeting with corporate managers.
"Chunhyangjeon," based on long-surviving Korean traditional "pansori" storytelling, is an entangled love story between the leading female protagonist, Chunhyang, who is of low status, her fiance Mongryong and the evil lord Byun Hak-do who is trying to coerce the woman to sleep with him.
The corrupt lord's scheme was foiled at the last moment when the woman's fiance Mongryong intervened as a secret inspector sent by the king to crack down on widespread corruption in local officialdom.
In his meeting with the corporate managers, the governor was quoted as saying, "What is 'Chunhyangjeon' all about? After all, it's about the lord Byun who is trying to deflower Chunhyang, isn't it?"
A number of civic groups in Namwon, a rural town in North Jeolla Province where the folklore is said to have originated issued a statement criticizing the governor for what they called his "insensitive" remarks.
On Wednesday, Kim was apologetic.
"I apologize for my indiscretion," the governor said in a phone interview with CBS Radio. "(My intention) was not to defame 'Chunhyangjeon' but to criticize the corrupt government official, Byun."
Two days earlier, Kim offered an apology, too, for the gaffe in an interview with the local cable news network YTN. Last year, he was forced to apologize after making a series of sexually explicit comments on a local pop group.
A three-time ex-lawmaker, Kim, 60, is a presidential hopeful in 2012 elections.
