Sam O'Kyere accused of being "two-faced" racist after past "slanted eyes" parody resurfaces
Source: Sports Chosun
Netizens are criticizing Sam O'Kyere for his past "slanted eyes" parody.
Netizens accused Sam for being "two-faced" after he harshly criticized Uijeongbu high school students for doing a parody of the "coffin dance." O'Kyere posted on his Instagram on the 6th and criticized five high school students for wearing "blackface" stating that the parody was "offensive."
Later, it was belatedly revealed that in 2015, Sam appeared as a panel member on JTBC's 'Abnormal Summit" and did a "slanted eyes" parody causing controversy.
Netizens stated, "how can someone that did a racist "slanted eyes" parody criticize others for black face? Isn't he contradicting himself?"
UPDATE: 08.07.2020 7:49 KST
Following backlash over Uijeongbu comments and use of #teakpop, Sam O'Kyere posted an apology on the 7th writing, "I didn't know 'teakpop' itself meant something bad about K-pop. This was interpreted as an attempt to point out the dark side of the Korean Wave culture to foreigners, meaning "the backside of K-pop" and "the gossip of K-pop." I've been loved a lot in Korea for a long time, but I was careless about this. I'll be Sam O'Kyere who learns more from now on."
- [+6,885, -697] What else is there for you to learn, just go back home to Ghana. Koreans were generous and let your racist "slanted eyes" parody slide only for you to turn around and blatantly insult our education and incite criticism over a minor mistake like that. I'm afraid what you'll say about Korea when you go back to your own country like a certain "Japanese professor" we all know.
- [+4,676, -104] You really think Koreans are foolsㅋㅋ. You didn't know the teakpop tag? Sure..let's pretend that you didn't know.. Why explain to Kpop fans why you wanted to tell them in the first place. And why so late with your apology? Why don't you explain the slanted eyes? ㅋ He's only selectively explaining what's beneficial to him.
- [+4,262, -59] Why don't you write your apology in English then?You made all Koreans racist with your English post and deleted all comments that were different from your intentions. You said, "I'm ignorant in English. I need to educate." But if you use Korean, it doesn't give any explanation to foreigners who have read your writing before. Do you think this is a sincere apology?
- [+2,463, -41] It's even more disgusting to pretend like this because you're going to lose money. Did you really not know the meaning of Teakpop? Why hashtag something you don't know?
- [+2,320, -153] Now that the country is in a mess even foreigners are making fun of us.
- [+661, -6] If you really didn't mean to do that at all then maybe those students didn't know they were doing "blackface" either? Just go back to your country. Please.
- [+622, -9] I don't want watch him on TV anymore. He doesn't care about country at all, he earned his money off the backs of Koreans only to set up schools in Ghana. Those Korean high schoolers were just partaking in a witty school event and he made them out to be racists...just go back to your country now.
Additional Source: Chosun Ilbo