A South Korean official who suggested the country should "import young women" from "Vietnam or Sri Lanka" to boost its birth rate has been expelled from his party.
Kim Hee-soo, head of southern Jindo County, said the woman could marry "young men in rural areas" during a municipal meeting last week, the Telegraph reports.
The suggestion comes as South Korea continues to face the world's lowest birth rate, which could lead to the country's population of 50 million halving in 60 years.
But Kim's statement, which was broadcast on television, was not well received - prompting a diplomatic protest from Vietnam, days of public outrage and his expulsion from the ruling Democratic Party.
Kim's attempts to calm the anger with an apology appear to have failed.
The city council had been called to discuss a possible merger between the province where Jindo County is located and a nearby city - something that regions with shrinking populations are considering for administrative reasons.
Kim said his comment was intended to highlight the problems of the population in rural regions, but admitted that the language he had used was "inappropriate", local media reported.
South Jeolla Province also issued an official apology for Kim's "inappropriate remarks," which it said "have caused deep pain to the Vietnamese people and women," local media reported.
The Vietnamese embassy in Seoul had condemned Kim's remarks, saying in a statement on Facebook that his words "were not simply a matter of expression, but a matter of values and attitudes towards migrant women and minority groups."
Sri Lankan authorities have not publicly addressed the controversy.
The Democratic Party Council had voted unanimously to expel Kim, a party spokesman told reporters on Monday.
Meanwhile, women's and migrant rights activists are reportedly planning to hold a rally in front of the Jindo County office on Tuesday over Kim's comments. /Telegraph/
