Kim Hee-soo, the governor of Jindo County in South Korea, recently used the term "import" to refer to marriage immigrants from countries such as Sri Lanka and Vietnam during discussions on population policies, sparking strong public criticism. The Vietnamese embassy in South Korea formally sent a letter of protest, pointing out that his remarks damaged bilateral relations.

The Democratic Party of Korea recently held an emergency meeting and unanimously decided to expel him from the party. This punishment comes only about a year after his re-entry. South Korean media analysts suggest this move is a swift attempt by the ruling party to mitigate damage before local elections, meaning Kim Hee-soo will only be able to seek re-election as an independent.