The Seoul Gangbuk District Office issued an apology for causing discomfort due to a promotional video that parodied NewJeans member Hani, who appeared at a National Assembly audit. The video, which aimed to promote a local sports event, was taken down after criticisms arose that it mocked foreigners who are not fluent in Korean.
On October 21st, Gangbuk District released a statement on their YouTube channel, acknowledging and addressing the concerns raised by many who interpreted the video as discriminatory against foreigners. They stated, “We humbly accept the concerns and have decided to make the video private. We deeply apologize to all who were offended by the video.”
The promotional video, uploaded on the 17th, featured an actress dressed similarly to Hani at the October 15th National Assembly audit. The video included scenes where the character gave incorrect answers to questions, drawing parallels to Hani’s experience.
Specifically, in the video, when asked about the location of the event, the character stuttered and incorrectly answered “Gangnam District’s One Heart Sports Event?” Additionally, a male character, after making a mistake, was told by another to act like they did not understand, similar to Hani, suggesting that this would help them avoid trouble.
The video faced backlash, with some viewers pointing out that it was effectively mocking someone for not being proficient in Korean, describing it as outright discrimination rather than a parody.
The controversy surrounding the portrayal of Hani, a Vietnamese-Australian, at the national audit was not limited to this video. On October 19th, an episode of ‘SNL Korea’ on Coupang Play also faced similar criticism for mocking her speech. Some defended the parody as just a portrayal of a popular figure, but others condemned it as offensive.