Summers Apologizes For Korea Remark

University President Lawrence H. Summers apologized last Friday for misstating the number of child prostitutes in 1970 in Seoul, South Korea in his opening address to Harvard Summer School students at the Science Center on July 1.

“In Seoul, Korea, in 1970, it is estimated that there were close to 1 million child prostitutes,” he told the crowd then. “Today there are almost none, and the reason is the tremendous opportunity that has been created by economic growth.”

In fact, there were about 5.5 million total residents of Seoul in 1970, and only about 680,000 females between the age of 10 and 19 at the time, according to a Texas A&M University website.

The remarks were first reported by the Korean Internet news outlet dkbnews.com, which posted an audio clip of the speech last Friday.

Summers promptly acknowledged the mistake, saying in a statement that he “misremembered” the statistic. He had been explaining how rapid economic growth and the “coming together of nations” were improving living standards.

“[Summers] had intended to illustrate the comparatively rapid progress made in lowering the number of child prostitutes over a generation,” the statement said. “He would like to apologize for any offense caused.”

Nonetheless, Summers continued to draw criticism from leaders like South Korean Health and Welfare Minister Kim Keun-tae who two days later demanded an apology.

“I think he would be better off using economic indicators like [gross national product] as an example to show Korea’s economic development because he is a well-respected scholar and president of Harvard University,” Kim said, according to the Korea Times.

The remark has also sparked an article to be written the JoongAng Daily.

At the speech, Summers spoke to the largely-international crowd for about an hour, giving remarks about the defining trends of our era. He then fielded questions on topics ranging from food waste to amnesty for immigrants, to his political future.

As he left, Summers was mobbed by students, seeking an autograph, a photo or even a word with him. An assistant had to escort him away.

—Staff writer Stephen M. Marks can be reached at marks@fas.harvard.edu.