What action South Korea took against official who suggested bringing in young women from abroad to boost birth rate?
A South Korean government official who suggested bringing in young women from Vietnam or Sri Lanka to increase the country's birth rate has been expelled from the ruling party.
Kim Hee-soo, the head of Jindo County in southern South Korea, said during a town hall meeting last week that these women could be married to young men in rural areas.
The statement comes as South Korea grapples with one of the world's lowest birth rates.
It is estimated that if the current trend continues, the country's population of approximately 50 million will be halved in the next 60 years.
However, Kim Hee-soo's remarks, which were broadcast on television, sparked a strong backlash. Vietnam lodged a diplomatic protest following the statement.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul had slammed Kim, saying in a statement that his words were "not simply a matter of expression but a matter of values and attitudes towards migrant women and minority groups".
The controversy continued for several days, and Kim was finally expelled from the ruling Democratic Party.
Sri Lanka authorities did not publicly addressed the controversy.