South Korean cartoonist Yoon Seo-In became the topic of controversy when he publicly attacked actor Jung Woo-Sung for showing his support for refugees.
On June 20, Jung Woo-Sung posted a word of support for the refugees in celebration of World Refugee Day. Soon afterwards, a South Korean webtoon artist Yoon Seo-In wrote a rather cynical comment on his Facebook, targeting at the actor for being “all talk and no action.”
On his Instagram, Jung Woo-Sung posted a picture of a refugee camp in Bangladesh that he had visited late last year. With the picture, he urged people to show support for refugees. In exact words, the actor said, “Today is World Refugee Day. Globally, some 68.5 million people are displaced, with 16.2 million people being forced to flee in year 2017 alone. Please stand #WithRefugees today in understanding and solidarity.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkOt_WugR3b/?taken-by=tojws
Immediately afterwards, the webtoon artist Yoon Seo-In came in and wrote a cynical comment on his Instagram. He didn’t necessarily name names, but he posted a single cut from his webtoon, which seemed like he was targeting the actor Jung Woo-Sung.
The artist said, “why do you ask other people to be the hope for refugees? You’re not being their hope, either. If you want to say such things, start by taking in some of them. I bet with this statement, I’m the only crazy person who picked a fight with an actor who wanted nothing but harm.”
Even after becoming the subject for controversy, he continued to mock the actor.
He posted a picture with a caption that said, “maybe I should have done nothing and say nice things to get people’s attention.” In the picture, a man is holding a phone on a luxurious couch, typing “please be the hope for the refugees.”
Meanwhile, Jung Woo-Sung wasn’t “all talk and no action” like Yoon Seo-In accused of him. Jung Woo-Sung is an honorary ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, and has been actively visiting places around the world to support the refugees.
However, the post was controversial since a serious debate about the acceptance of refugees in Korea is ongoing. Ever since the civil war in Yemen in 2015, a number of refugees fled the country. And currently, approximately 500 Yemeni refugees are now on Jeju Island without a visa. The problem arose when the government announced their plans to offer those who have applied for refugee status temporary jobs and free medical care.
Regarding Yoon Seo-In’s act, Jung Woo-Sung’s agency drew the line and said “there’s nothing to be said.”
Original Article (1), (2)
Translated by Dasol Kim
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