Korean netizens have slammed Apple TV Plus drama “Pachinko” star Jin Ha’s apology over his controversial Tumblr blog he used to upload photos of elderly Korean women taken without their consent.
In his blog, which he deleted after the controversy erupted in Korea, Jin Ha, a Korean-American, wrote descriptions that mocked and sexualized Korean women.
In “Pachinko,” released on Apple TV Plus on March 25, Jin Ha plays the role of Solomon Baek, the grandson of Sunja (played by Oscar best supporting actress Youn Yuh-jung).
On the same day, a Korean netizen raised the issues of illegal photography and sexual harassment against Jin Ha over his Tumblr blog "Korean Flowers in Bloom.”
About 100 photos of elderly Korean women were uploaded to his blog from July 2010 to September 2011.
Almost all the photos were secretly taken in subways and streets in South Korea. Jin Ha wrote on his personal website that "Korean Flowers in Bloom” is “a photography blog I created back in 2011 while I was living in South Korea. Please enjoy responsibly.”
In one post dated Aug. 16, 2010, Jin Ha uploaded a photo of a sleeping grandmother and wrote, “Working with such a provocative model, I found it hard to keep myself and my concupiscence under control.”
In another photo of a Korean woman wearing a blouse with large floral prints he uploaded on Aug. 9, 2010, he wrote, “Now we have an excuse to stare directly at her right nipple.”
“Illegal filming is also a problem, and it is very unpleasant to write down what you feel as if you were criticizing grandmothers. I am writing this in hopes that the actor apologizes to the victims and takes down the post because it has become a public issue,” the Korean added.
After the controversy exploded in Korea, Jin Ha deleted his Tumblr blog and issued an apology in Korean and English on his website on March 26.
“Hello. Thank you for this opportunity to address a failing in my past that was long overdue. You are absolutely right. My ‘Korean Flowers in Bloom’ Tumblr account from 2011 should not have been made at all. It was a breach of privacy for the elder women featured, and many of my captions were inappropriate. I deeply regret my actions. and apologize for them,” he said.
He added, “I was wrong to take these photos 11 years ago, and was wrong to post them online. I was negligent in allowing these photos and captions of people I did not know personally to stay online. We requested Tumblr to delete this account immediately- which they have done. ‘Korean Flowers in Bloom’ is no longer online,” he added.
“I sincerely apologize to the senior women whom I photographed. I apologize, as well, to the viewers whom I offended with this Tumblr account. My lack of judgement in 2011 has been pointed out by readers wiser than I have proved to be and for that I am grateful,” he said.
Jin Ha added, “Thank you again for granting me this chance to rectify this blunder of a blog and for bringing it to my attention when it should have been clear to me from the beginning. I will work diligently to learn from this mistake so that I may never repeat it going forward.”
But Korean netizens are not buying his apology.
In comments on a Korean news article about Jin Ha’s apology, Koreans netizens slammed him.
“Nevermind the fact that he's a pervert, just deleting the hidden camera photos doesn't mean this is all over. I'm surprised that America is just letting this get brushed under the rug??? This should result in a jail sentence,” one netizen wrote, according to Netizen Buzz.
Another said, “Is this something that can be concluded with an apology? It's a clear cut crime. I hope I don't see him in any future Korean works.”
Here are other comments:
- “If they had been pictures of young women, sure, it could be passed off as some young guy not properly developing sexual boundaries... but taking pictures of grandmas? Judging their breasts? He's just a psychopath, isn't he? I don't quite understand his mindset.”
- “This is a sex crime that should be investigated, no?”
- “He illegally filmed these grandmothers, posted them with their faces exposed, and wrote sexual remarks under them. Is an apology all that matters? Someone of such criminal tendencies should be banned from the industry. This is not just a simple mistake, and he should not be allowed to make money off the public after an apology.. How disgraceful.”
- “No. Please do not star in any more works. There is such clear evidence of a crime, and if any one of those grandmas chose to sue, an apology will never change the fact that he committed a crime. Please do not ever find work in Korea again.”
- “He only apologized and deleted the account for the sake of his drama promotions. I bet he would've kept it up if he never got into this controversy!! The power of money~~!! It gives me goosebumps to think that guys like him walk around among us acting normal!!”
- “Any normal person would never do something like this”
Jin Ha deleted his Instagram and Twitter accounts after deleting his Tumblr blog. Manila Bulletin reached out to representatives of Apple TV Plus regarding Jin Ha’s controversy. They have yet to respond as of writing.
"Pachinko," now streaming on Apple TV Plus, also stars Lee Min-ho and Kim Min-ha.