Guangju Buk-gu District Mayor Moon In has been criticised for using female officials as backup dancers. - Yonhap via The Korea Herald/ANN
SEOUL: A district office in Gwangju is under fire after eight female civil servants appeared as backup dancers during a performance by Gwangju Buk-gu District Mayor Moon In.
The performance took place on Nov 6 at Donggang University during filming for the KBS programme National Singing Contest, which drew more than 1,000 audience members. Moon took the stage to sing Yoon Soo-il’s 1985 hit Apartment, with the officials dancing behind him.
The women, wearing sunglasses and headscarves and holding pompoms, had reportedly submitted official duty travel requests to attend the event.
Many critics said that dancing behind the mayor hardly qualifies as public work and that having only women as dancers raises additional concerns.
The Gwangju Government Employees’ Union condemned the decision, saying, “Using civil servants as props undermines the dignity of public officials. Even if they volunteered, the mayor is responsible for allowing it.”
The Gwangju branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions also blasted the office, calling the use of duty travel for backup dancing “a clear waste of taxpayer money,” and saying that relying on “volunteering” to mobilise female officials “shows just how weak their gender awareness is”.
In a statement, Mayor Moon apologised, saying the travel requests were submitted based on “individual judgment”.
He added that no rehearsals were held and no travel expenses were paid, and said he would “humbly accept concerns raised about only female officials participating”. - The Korea Herald/ANN
