Hong draws fire for sexist remarks
By Choi Ha-young
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Hong Joon-pyo
Hong Joon-pyo, the presidential candidate of the second-largest Liberty Korea Party (LKP), is receiving a barrage of criticism after making sexist remarks during a media interview Sunday.
Asked whether he shares household chores with his wife, Hong answered: “How can I wash dishes? I don’t even know how to open a rice pot and cook instant noodles.”
“That’s the way of nature. Men have their own jobs and women have their own jobs.”
The former South Gyeongsang governor also revealed his view on sexual orientation, saying he wouldn’t accept it if his son were a homosexual. “I don’t like it. Some people view it as a matter of human rights, but (gender orientation) is given by nature.”
Aides of Moon Jae-in of the largest liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Sim Sang-jung of the progressive Justice Party criticized Hong.
“This is such an old-fashioned stance going against the current of the times,” Moon’s spokeswoman Rep. Yoo Eun-hae told reporters.
“The LKP has a party rule stipulating the abolition of gender discrimination,” Sim’s vice spokesman Im Han-sol said, noting that the party’s female members stayed silent. “The party’s female committee members should voice their position on Hong’s remark,” Im said.
Earlier, the LKP female lawmakers attacked the DPK lawmaker who approved an artist’s exhibition in the National Assembly that included a nude painting of former President Park Geun-hye.
In response to the criticism, Hong said Tuesday, “That was a case for housewives, not for career women.”
Hong, nicknamed “Hong-rump” and the “Korean Duterte” after the presidents of the United States and Philippines respectively, got another nickname following the first television debate last week ― drunken old guy.
During the debate, he branded Moon as “pro-North Korea” and a “leftist,” bewildering the audience. After Sim revealed her job pledges, Hong said: “You don’t have to dream of such things, because you won’t be elected.”
According to an opinion poll Wednesday, Hong’s support stood at 10.2 percent, down 0.2 percentage points compared to four days ago. Despite his “strategic” harsh words to boost his numbers, the scandal-hit party’s candidate has shown meager progress.