Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Filipinos furious over Korean lawmaker's degrading remarks
Rep. Lee Un-ju / Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
Many Filipinos have reacted with fury after a Korean lawmaker belittled their country during a recent
with Korean daily Dong-A Ilbo.
The reactions came after Rep. Lee Un-ju of the minor right-wing Bareunmirae Party said the people of Korea “would have lived in a country worse than the Philippines” if former military dictator Park Chung-hee had not ruled the country.
“Filipino soldiers shed their blood and died in Korea,” Romeo Santos Mandinggin, a Filipino man and a fan of Korean culture, told The Korea Times. “By all means she should (apologize), but I doubt she will.”
Belittling the Philippines, which was one of the first countries to send troops to South Korea during the Korean War (1950-53), is nothing but a disgraceful act, another Filipino said.
“The Philippines may not be as rich as Korea is right now, but part of Korea's development is due to the help of Filipinos even after the war,” Jerry Yusi said.
The lawmaker made the comment as she defended the economic policies of Park, whom she compared with former dictators in other countries such as the Philippines' Ferdinand Marcos.
“There have been many dictators across East Asia and Africa,” Lee said. “Most of them failed to develop the economy, unlike former President Park. We should recognize his achievement.”
While some Koreans took her remarks just as a political attack against liberal politicians, who generally share negative views of Park, others found them very offensive to the people of the Philippines and diplomatically problematic.
A senior official at the Philippines Embassy in Seoul said the
about Lee has been brought to the attention of a person in charge and the embassy may issue a statement.