Lawmaker Yang Moon-seok faces criticism from traditional music artists

[Anchor]

Democratic Party lawmaker Yang Moon-seok faced fierce criticism after using the term "gisaeng house" when referring to the performers at a meeting with intangible cultural heritage elders and Firsty Lady Kim Keon-hee.

In response to the strong backlash from traditional music artists, including holders of intangible cultural heritage, lawmaker Yang publicly apologized five days after his remarks.

Reporter Lee Hee-yeon has the story.

[Report]

The controversial remark was made during the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's audit on Oct. 10.

At a meeting held in April last year at the Cheong Wa Dae Sangchunjae with First Lady Kim Keon-hee and intangible cultural heritage elders, there was a traditional music performance, which lawmaker Yang Moon-seok criticized in this way.

[Yang Moon-seok/National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee/Democratic Party/Oct. 10: "Are these people gisaeng? They suddenly turned it into a gisaeng house. Isn't it just like performing in front of the ministers from historical dramas?"]

[Choi Eung-chon/Director of the Cultural Heritage Administration/Oct. 10: "This is not something that started yesterday or today; the Cultural Heritage Administration has been holding such events for a long time."]

Traditional music artists protested, calling the remarks insulting.

More than 20 intangible cultural heritage holders, including Lee Young-hee and Shin Young-hee, held a press conference demanding an apology.

["Yang Moon-seok, apologize! Apologize!"]

[Lee Young-hee/Holder of National Intangible Heritage Gayageum Sanjo & Byeongchang/Oct. 14: "(Did) President Kim Dae-jung and First Lady Kim Jeong-sook, who watched the performance in the past, perceive that event a place for gisaeng to perform?"]

As criticism intensified, lawmaker Yang expressed deep remorse during the audit.

[Yang Moon-seok/National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee/Democratic Party: "It is unfortunate that the performances of intangible cultural heritage successors are being exploited by national institutions without proper compensation... I had no intention to belittle their hard work."]

Lawmaker Yang is facing trial for charges of fraudulently borrowing 1.1 billion won from a Saemaul Geumgo during the process of purchasing an apartment in Gangnam, Seoul.

This is KBS News, Lee Hee-yeon.