Rival candidates slammed for 'biased' views on homosexuality

Ko Min-jung, left, the candidate from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, and Oh Se-hoon from the main opposition United Future Party stage election campaigns in the Gwangjin-B constituency in Seoul, Wednesday. The rival candidates have received criticism for “biased” remarks about homosexuality during their televised debate aired Sunday. Yonhap

By Jung Da-min

Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) and former presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), both competing for Seoul's Gwangjin-B constituency, have been mired in controversy over their “biased” remarks against sexual minorities.

During their televised debate organized by the National Election Broadcasting Debate Commission recorded on Sunday, Oh said, “What is your take on the issue of homosexuality? I oppose it.” Then Ko replied, “The matter of homosexuality requires a national-level consensus.”

The two candidates' remarks went viral online and drew criticism. The minor opposition Justice Party, which openly supports sexual minority groups, also slammed Oh and Ko for their “pathetic” exchange at the debate.

“Sexual minorities are not a subject to support or oppose, but human beings who live with us in society,” Justice Party spokeswoman Kang Min-jin said in a commentary issued Tuesday. Kang said Ko's remark that a “national consensus” is required for homosexual citizens, unlike heterosexual citizens, is no better than Oh's hatred of sexual minorities.

Kang called on Ko to make an apology and the DPK to clearly state its stance on the matter. “The ruling DPK has been using words like 'social consensus' to justify its procrastination on accepting the rights of sexual minorities,” Kang said.

As for the UFP, Kang said it is a party which “habitually” issues disparaging remarks against minority groups, so it should be barred from the political arena.

Twitter users also expressed “disappointment” in the DPK candidate for her “cowardly” echoing of the stance of President Moon Jae-in. In a televised debate for the 2017 presidential election, then DPK candidate Moon said he was against homosexuality but he also opposed discrimination against sexual minorities. About the same-sex marriage issue, he also said in a Q&A session last November, “I oppose discrimination in principle, but we have yet to reach a social consensus to legalize same-sex marriage.”

“It's expected of the homophobic UFP to come up with this … but also quite cowardly of Ko to whip out the same junk as President Moon,” a Twitter user said. Another tweeted, “Two parties expressing the same sentiment in different words.”