Yoo Jae Suk’s “Racist” Comment Sparks Controversy
Yoo Jae Suk has found himself at the center of quite a controversy after a recent episode of tvN‘s You Quiz on the Block.
During a special segment titled “Foreigners in Nationality Only,” which featured guests who are foreign by nationality but have lived in Korea for most of their lives, Yoo made one particular comment that some viewers have interpreted as racially insensitive.
The episode featured Leo Ranta, Amarachi, and Michael Leidman — all long-time residents of Korea. Ranta, who moved to Korea from Finland as a baby, explained that he has spent the majority of his life in Korea. Amarachi, who was born in Seoul, shared that despite having Nigerian nationality, she had never been to Nigeria and had lived in Korea her entire life.
Throughout the show, Yoo Jae Suk repeatedly praised the guests for their fluency in Korean and expressed surprise at how “Korean” their speech and mannerisms were. While these comments seemed harmless to some, others argued that they reflected an outdated and racially biased perspective.
Some Korean netizens suggested that Yoo’s surprise at their Korean language skills, despite them being raised in Korea, could be seen as insensitive, especially when viewed through an international lens.
The controversy has drawn comparisons to a similar situation involving NCT’s Mark, who, during a 2018 interview in the United States, was complimented on his English even though it is his native language. Both incidents highlight how such comments can unintentionally perpetuate stereotypes.
“Your english is awesome , I love it”
I mean he’s from Canada , what is he supposed to speak , moose? pic.twitter.com/goGiN4FDmR
— shownu marey me (@haspuwu) October 9, 2018
Interestingly, Yoo Jae Suk had previously taken a strong stance against discrimination on his show, criticizing racial biases based on skin color. However, this latest incident has sparked heated debates online, with Yoo at the center of it.
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