Credit: tvN
In this particular episode, the show featured guests born or raised in Korea but holding foreign nationalities. Leo Ranta, Amarachi, and Michael Leidman were among those invited to share their experiences. During the conversations, Yoo Jae Suk repeatedly expressed surprise at their fluency in Korean. This left some viewers questioning the intent of his words.
Leo Ranta, who came to Korea from Finland as a baby and has lived there for 25 years, explained that he considers himself Korean. Amarachi, born in Itaewon to Nigerian parents, also shared that she had never been to Nigeria, emphasizing her strong connection to Korea. Despite their lengthy histories in Korea, Yoo Jae Suk commented several times on their language abilities, saying things like, “You speak Korean so well” and “Your accent is just like a Korean’s.”
Although Yoo Jae Suk’s remarks seemed innocent, they sparked a backlash from some viewers who felt that repeatedly expressing surprise at someone’s fluency based on their appearance could perpetuate stereotypes. Critics pointed out that, had such remarks been made in countries like the U.S. or Canada, they might be viewed as racially insensitive.
For example, a similar incident occurred in 2018 when NCT’s Mark, a Korean-Canadian, was asked during an interview with an American broadcaster, “Your English is really good,” despite English being his native language. This comment was criticized for reinforcing stereotypes that people of Asian descent aren’t typically proficient in English, echoing a broader issue of racial assumptions.
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