The aftershock of the controversy surrounding YouTuber Park Wi is spreading in an unexpected direction. Beyond criticizing Park Wi's own actions, some netizens have been going so far as to visit the social media accounts of people connected to him simply because they have a connection.
Park Wi recently posted CCTV footage showing an accident involving a staff member who was helping him as he was disembarking a KTX in a wheelchair, and was criticized. Although the staff member made a mistake while providing assistance and later apologized, critics questioned whether the way the footage was published, which could expose the person's identity, was appropriate.
In the end, Park Wi made the video private and apologized, saying his judgment was short-sighted. He acknowledged that he had not given enough thought to the position of the staff member who had tried to help him and that his method of sharing the footage was also clumsy.
Up to this point it is an area of action chosen by Park Wi and the responsibility that follows. The problem comes after. The arrows of criticism went beyond his wife Song Ji Eun to Kim Gi Ri, who introduced the two. Some netizens visited Kim Gi Ri's social media and left comments asking why she introduced Song Ji Eun to Park Wi. Kim Gi Ri restricted comments on her social media on the 31st of last month for a time, then reopened them.
Actress Park Jin Hee, who has had a long connection with Park Wi, is also being summoned online again. In 2020 Park Wi introduced Park Jin Hee on his YouTube channel as a "close older sister." Park Jin Hee met producer Park Chan Hong, Park Wi's father, in 2001 through the drama "The fragrance of silk and flowers" and thereafter maintained a close relationship like that of an actual father and daughter.
At the time Park Jin Hee asked Producer Park directly if she could call him father, and Producer Park readily accepted her as a daughter. At Park Jin Hee's wedding, Producer Park even gave a congratulatory speech from a father's heart, showing the depth of their bond. Also, the fact that Park Jin Hee has not posted anything on social media since the 20th of last month has drawn attention. However, it has not been confirmed whether this is a choice related to the Park Wi controversy. Speculating about the reason for her silence solely because there are no posts could be another unfounded inference.
Questioning whether Park Wi's method of releasing the CCTV was appropriate is a different matter from blaming his family, friends and acquaintances. Attacks of the form 'why did you introduce him' or 'why did you get close to him' are close to a de facto "guilt by association" that holds people responsible for actions they did not take.
Wrongdoing can be followed by criticism. But the moment you go to the social media of someone close to that person simply because they are close and demand explanations and criticize them, the legitimacy of the criticism is also weakened. The responsibilities Park Wi must bear and the responsibilities people around Park Wi must bear cannot be the same.
[photo] 'SNS
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