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SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Democratic Party (DP) decided Monday to kick out the head of Jindo County over his controversial comments on "importing" women from overseas to cope with population decline.

The DP's Supreme Council unanimously voted to expel Kim Hee-su, the county chief of Jindo in South Jeolla Province, for his derogatory remarks, DP spokesperson Park Soo-hyun told reporters.

The decision came five days after Kim suggested "importing young women from Vietnam and Sri Lanka" to marry young men in rural areas during a televised town hall meeting in South Jeolla last Wednesday, triggering public outrage.

Kim issued an apology the following day, saying his remarks were intended to highlight structural problems facing rural regions, including severe population decline and the "weakening foundations for marriage," and to stress the need for a merger between South Jeolla Province and Gwangju.

In response, the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul sent a letter to the province in protest of Kim's remarks.

South Jeolla Province earlier said it extended its apology to the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese government, as well as to the Vietnamese people and women who were "deeply hurt" by Kim's "inappropriate remarks."

This file photo, taken Dec. 7, 2023, shows Kim Hee-su, the governor of Jindo in South Jeolla Province. (Yonhap)

julesyi@yna.co.kr(END)

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