Weracle creator Park We, embroiled in controversy over criticizing public service workers, has remained silent for three weeks, while a video filmed three years ago with visually impaired OneShotHansol is being reexamined.
In 2023 a video titled "He is paralyzed from the waist down but is it really possible..? I was embarrassed but I asked" was posted on OneShotHansol's YouTube channel. In the video Park We accepted OneShotHansol's invitation to go glamping together and they grilled meat.
OneShotHansol met Park We and personally pushed the wheelchair. When OneShotHansol steered the wheelchair well, Park We said, "You can't see, so is this possible? I'm really going to check you here." When OneShotHansol went another way, Park We responded, "Oh right. You really can't see."
Also, when they went to the lawn, OneShotHansol said, "It changed to grass." Park We replied, "How did you know? Be honest. You can see everything."
Later, while grilling meat, when OneShotHansol struggled to use scissors, Park We reacted, "I'll really admit it. I will admit you're not faking it." Not only that, when OneShotHansol wrapped a ssam, Park We said, "It really seems like you can see."
As the video has recently drawn renewed attention, some netizens are expressing discomfort with Park We's attitude at the time. In particular, repeatedly questioning actions that a visually impaired person can perform through sufficient training with phrases such as "can't you see?" or "aren't you faking it?" can be seen as a lack of respect for visually impaired people.
Of course, there are opinions that the overall context of the video at the time or the relationship between the two should be considered. Some reactions say it could be seen as a joke or prank between friends. In fact, because the video did not spark a major controversy when it was first released, some view it as excessive to raise past videos as an issue years later.
However, with Park We recently at the center of controversy, reactions from netizens have changed as past videos are reexamined. In particular, even if it was a joke between close friends, repeatedly making remarks that seem to doubt the person's disability can be received as sufficiently offensive.
Ultimately, netizens are divided over whether it was simply unfair criticism or whether the behavior at the time deserved censure.
Last month Park We released a video titled "the reason for releasing the CCTV footage" in which he said that while using the KTX his wheelchair got caught on the foot of a public service worker who helped him on the ramp when disembarking, causing him to fall, and, "I was so angry," he publicly shared CCTV footage that could identify the person.
But the situation reversed as the public service worker politely apologized after the accident and it was emphasized that they tried to help according to the wheelchair ramp use manual. Ultimately Park We apologized, "They did their best to help me and politely apologized, and I failed to consider the position of the staff. I thought negatively about a mistake that occurred in the process of trying to help me better. My way of communicating was clumsy and my thinking was short-sighted."
The public was greatly disappointed by a side that contrasted with the image shown so far, and people suspected duplicity, saying that instead of expressing gratitude from the past the creator had shown complaints when digging up past videos.
In the meantime Park We's YouTube channel Weracle, which once had nearly 1 million subscribers, gradually lost subscribers and even fell below the 950,000 level. As of the 11th Weracle had 949,000 subscribers and the decline was ongoing. Park We has remained silent after posting an apology.
[Photo] video capture
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