Sri Lanka, Feb. 8 -- South Jeolla has apologized for the Jindo County governor, who said the country should "import young virgins from Sri Lanka or Vietnam."

"We sincerely bow our heads in apology to the Vietnamese Embassy in Korea and the Vietnamese government, as well as to the Vietnamese people and women who have been deeply hurt," a county spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.

"We know that expressions such as 'import,' which were used during a question-and-answer session, undermine human dignity and objectify women and cannot be justified under any circumstances."

The province explained that the remarks run directly counter to the values of respect for human rights, gender equality and multicultural inclusion that South Je...