08/07/2020
{trigger warning} Today we are ashamed to be Korean. The abbreviated story below highlights that racism is not a US problem, it’s a pandemic. It also shows the toxicity of when the critical mass is ignorant about the issues that don’t directly impact them, and are unwilling to learn.
So 2 days ago, as part of a yearbook photo shoot, students at 의정부 High School put on blackface and carried a coffin for whatever fu***ng stupid reason (that they thought was clever). a Ghanaian personality active in South Korean variety show, rightfully called them out and the toxic racism that is deeply entrenched in S Korean society. It’s actually so deeply rooted that they don’t recognize that Blackface is racist, and are unwilling to accept and learn.
After the call-out is where the real story begins. South Korean netizens started bombarding Sam’s social media, and called to cancel him from all media presence. Furthermore, the high school officials said that “the students were deeply hurt and offended” by Sam and his IG post. The prevailing sentiment as reflected in the comments is that of ignorance, many even calling to delete him from the country. The second most liked comment reads “why is it offensive to paint the face black when your skin color is black? So when I paint my face white for Halloween I’m being racist against white people.”
SM FU***NG H.
Sam ended up deleting the post, and issued an apology for his behavior. Guys this is it. This is 2020 we live in. The bigotry is not just happening in Minneapolis or Louisville. It’s happening in Seoul, one of the largest metropolis. Where is the empathy and remorse? Instead, the majority in power are trying to cancel and silence the minority without a second thought, and more importantly they are not willing to listen & learn.
We thought a lot whether to post about this or not. But we knew that we had to. Even if we are not proud to share same traditions and heritage as these f**kfaces, this is one of the ugly truths of Korean culture behind the glossy OLED plexiglass facade. Admitting is the first step, speaking up is the next. (Continued in comments) @ 의정부고등학교