Korean netizens also slammed Korean vlogger Tzuyang’s controversial “mukbang” video that made fun of Filipino immigrants’ Korean accent, saying the country needs to learn more about racism. 

Tzuyang uploaded a “mukbang” (eating show) on her YouTube channel on Jan. 28 that had Korean comedian Kim Ji-young as guest. 

(Top) Vlogger Tzuyang (right) laughs as Korean comedian Kim Ji-young (left) introduces herself as a Filipino in a YouTube video uploaded on Jan. 28. (Bottom) One of the comments by a Korean netizen as translated to English by blog Netizen Buzz) (Screenshots from Edzel Marc Robion's reuploaded video and Netizen Buzz)

Kim Ji-young came to the show playing the role of a Filipina immigrant named “Nitung” who is married to a Korean.  

She plays the character “Nitung” in a segment of the Korean comedy TV show “Gag Concert.” Nitung is a foreign daughter-in-law from the Philippines who is married to a Korean and is often criticized by her mother-in-law. 

Kim Ji-young also plays Nitung on a web drama series on the YouTube channel Fokcine. 

YouTuber Tzuyang (Instagram)

(Left) Korean comedian Kim Jiyoung as Filipina immigrant Nitung with Korean comedian Park Hyung-min who plays the role of her Korean husband Park Joo-baek in the YouTube web series and “Gag Concert,” and (right) Kim Ji-young (Instagram)

However, the Jan. 28 video on Tzuyang’s YouTube channel angered Filipinos, who branded Kim Ji-young’s portrayal of Nitung as making fun of, mocking and stereotyping Filipinos.  

In the video, Kim Ji-young, as Filipino immigrant Nitung, spoke Korean in a different accent that made Tzuyang laugh. When Tzuyang asked her about her accent, Nitung replied that it was because “I’m a Filipino.” 

"I am appearing in Nitung's Human Theater on 'Gag Concert.' I was originally a farmer's wife, but now I am a comedian," said Kim Ji-young as Nitung. 

In real life, Kim Ji-young is a Korean who works as a comedian. 

At the end of the video, Kim Ji-young changed her clothes and reappeared, saying, "I'm actually Korean. I've never been abroad and I don't have a passport. I'm a native of Seoul." 

The video sparked outcries of racism with Filipino netizens demanding Tzuyang to apologize. 

Because of the backlash, Tzuyang deleted the video and issued an apology in Filipino, English and Korean. Since the controversy erupted, Tzuyang’s Instagram account has comments criticizing her for the controversial video. 

Korean netizens’ comments 

News articles about the controversial video were published by Korean media outlets. 

Many Koreans who commented on an Instagram post by a Korean media outlet about the controversy and in an article on the web portal Naver criticized Tzuyang’s video. 

Here are some of the most liked and upvoted comments from Korean netizens, according to blog Netizen Buzz. 

- “Making fun of other races is a genre of comedy that needs to be left in the past”

- “I'm seeing a lot of people not understanding why this is racist and saying ‘comedy is comedy,’ and I hope that all of you keep your mouths shut when South Americans slant their eyes and make fun of you whenever they see you”

- “This is why race issues shouldn't be messed with in comedy”

- “Our country needs to ramp up our education on racism. We were not subject to criticism in the past because no one cared about our country and our language was limited to only ourselves, but times are different now. Any racism that you might've felt in any other country means that others feel the same when we do act in the same way about them.” 

- “Haven't you all felt uncomfortable whenever you watched American dramas and saw a scene of Koreans working in a laundromat and Americans laughing at their poor English skills? Just like how we feel uncomfortable about certain things, you have to learn to put yourselves in the shoes of others and understand that they can feel uncomfortable by your actions as well. I hope that we become a country that can learn that.”

- “No more gags about foreigners and the disabled. How have we still not learned that?”

- “I immediately knew that would be problematic when I saw it on 'Gag Concert'”

- “If Filipinos found it racist, then the only right action to take is to apologize!!!”

 - “How embarrassing for our country”

 - “I'll be honest, I saw it and thought it would cause a racism controversy as well. There are a lot of multi-cultural families living in Korea now and gags like this only fuel the racism their children may face from others in school. It's not even funny, really.”

However, there are other Koreans who did not find the video offensive. Here are their top comments: 

- “Isn't it only racist if your intention was to put them down? I thought it was funny and a friendly depiction... it's not something as offensive as slanting your eyes or anything like that”

- “It's just a gag, guys, don't blow it up”

- “I found it funny, I don't know what's so racist about it”

- “I'm struggling to find what part of it was racist”

Marriages between Korean men and foreign women

In 2022, there were a total of 12,007 marriages between Korean men and foreign brides, based on data from the Korean Statistical Information Service. 

Of the total, 509 brides came from the Philippines. Other foreign brides came from Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Mongolia and China. 

Relations between the Philippines and South Korea

The Philippines and South Korea have good diplomatic relations. This year, the two countries will celebrate the 75th year of diplomatic relations since 1949.  

In 1950, the Philippines sent troops to help South Korea during the Korean War with North Korea. 

Thousands of Filipinos work in different industries in South Korea through the government-to-government Employment Permit System (EPS). 

South Korea is the No. 1 source of tourists for the Philippines. Korean dramas and K-pop are popular among Filipinos. 

Tzuyang’s apology she uploaded on her YouTube channel: 

Hello po Tzuyang po ito 

Gusto ko po mag express ng aking sincerest apology regarding sa video na i-upload noong 28th ng Enero kasama ng mga Komedyans na Koreano para sa mga Filipino viewers at mga subscribers po. 

Gusto ko po mag sabi na marami po akong respeto kay Pilipinas at lagi naman po akong mag sasalamat sa mga lahat ng viewers ko sa Pilipinas 

Pero hindi po ako na pansin na itong content ngayon ay pwede maging offensive sa ibang viewers. 

bigay ng aking sincere na apology sa mga lahat ng viewers ko sa Pilipinas at mga viewer na mag offened 

Yung Video po ay mag-deleted na po ngayon. 

Salamat po para sa mga mag salitang feedback nyo at mag iingat at maalalahanin ko po sa mga contents na gawa sa hinaharap 

—---------------

Hello, this is tzuyang. 

I want to extend my sincere apologies to our Filipino viewers and subscribers for any concerns caused by the video uploaded on January 28th with a Korean comedian.  

I hold great respect for the Philippines and feel genuinely grateful to the many viewers in the Philippines who enjoy my videos.  

However, it was a huge oversight on my part not to realize that the content we produced might unintentionally cause emotional pain, which was not our intention. 

I sincerely apologize once again to the Filipino viewers and to anyone who felt uncomfortable watching the video. 

We have already removed the video in question. I will carefully heed the criticisms and comments from our viewers and will make every effort to be thoughtful and attentive when creating content in the future. 

Related story:
Korean vlogger Tzuyang apologizes for mocking Filipinos; PH No. 6 in SK’s most hated country survey
https://mb.com.ph/2024/2/9/korean-vlogger-tzuyang-apologizes-for-mocking-filipinos-ph-no-6-in-sk-s-most-hated-country-survey