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South Korea
This Week in AsiaHealth & Environment

South Korean mayor sparks outrage by blaming female employees for wildfire woes

Kim Doo-gyeom of Ulsan city cites limitations in fighting the devastating blaze, saying it is not easy to send women into ‘rugged mountain areas’

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Houses burn in a South Korean village after being engulfed by a wildfire fuelled by winds. Photo: Yonhap via AP
SCMP’s Asia desk
A mayor in South Korea has sparked outrage by blaming female employees for difficulties in suppressing devastating wildfires that have plagued the country.

The remark was made by Kim Doo-gyeom, mayor of Ulsan in southeastern Korea, during a wildfire briefing in the city on Tuesday.

“There are limitations on the number of public officials we can mobilise when a wildfire breaks out in the region,” he said as quoted by The Korea Herald. “And nowadays, there are many female employees, so it is not easy to send them into rugged mountain areas.”

He also mentioned that 500 military personnel had been deployed to help with firefighting, expressing gratitude to them.

Ulsan mayor Kim Doo-gyeom’s remarks during a wildfire briefing have drawn controversy after he said female employees had limitations in being deployed to “rugged” mountain areas. Photo: YouTube/YTN
Ulsan mayor Kim Doo-gyeom’s remarks during a wildfire briefing have drawn controversy after he said female employees had limitations in being deployed to “rugged” mountain areas. Photo: YouTube/YTN

Kim’s words drew widespread outrage on social media.

“If it is difficult to put out the fire because there are too many female employees, I hope the mayor of Ulsan, who is a strong man, will take the lead and go put out the fire himself!” a user wrote on the city government’s official bulletin board site.

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