Blackface in Korea 2020, timeline of the controversy

This excerpt article is made for Wikitree's new Global Edition, introducing the latest Korean news to our English-speaking subscribers worldwide.

Blackface has once again come to the fore in Korea.

Blackface is a shameful part of world history that should never be repeated. But in Korea, putting on makeup to appear racially Black is a topic of public debate.

It all started with a group of high school students who decided to enact a famous meme, 'the Coffin Dance,' for their graduation photo.

Students of Eui Jung Boo High School are known for taking comedic graduation photos in elaborate costumes. The students would choose celebrities, memes, or any famous image to impersonate - a lot like the Halloween tradition. Eui Jung Boo High School Student Body's official fb page released this year's graduation photos on 8/3, which included 'The Coffin Boys' in the bundle.

Anyone aware of the history of Blackface would be appalled by this photo. Clearly, standards of cultural sensitivity are different in Korea.

For readers who might be unfamiliar with Blackface: Blackface is a form of theatrical make-up used predominantly in the 19th & 20th century to perform caricatures of Black people. This contributed to spreading racial stereotypes of Black people as simple-minded, lazy, comical, hypersexual, and overall less-than, as such images were what entertained the audience who were predominantly, if not 100%, White.

Experts say the thrill of such a performance comes from undermining the "Other" as to feel superior - a sentiment that scratched the backs of Whites during the Antebellum period when abolitionists had started to gain force.

https://www.history.com/news/blackface-history-racism-origins

Since Black people did not have any independent representation, the images perpetuated by the Blackface performers were the extent of how Black people were perceived. These images would land on the psyche of White people to continue in their belief of superiority and land on the psyche of Black people to grow in self-degradation.

Blackface has become a taboo in Western cultures as the practice is now recognized as problematic. Such was due to activists who tirelessly pointed out the effects, though efforts continue even today as the legacy of Blackface continues.

'The Coffin Boys' have become a catalyst for heated debate. On one side, people are saying this is a racist depiction of Black people as it continues in the tradition of Blackface. On the other, people say this is a harmless parody of a meme, and to apply standards of the West in the context of modern Korea is a stretch.

The Ghanaian Korean Celebrity Sam Okyere joined the conversation, pouring gas onto the wildfire. On 8/6 Okyere posted a photo of the 'Coffin Boys' and stated his frustration.

The Korean public didn't take this well. Most comments revolve around how he is 'overreacting,' and that he has no right to criticize Korean education. Further, they are pointing out that Okeyre's post might be detrimental for the high school students as he is putting their faces on blast on his platform.

His use of the hashtag #teakpop is also being questioned. #teakpop is used for rumor or gossip within the kpop industry - usually to criticize its practices. Those who are against Okeyre point out that he is blowing the event out of proportion by connecting the students, unrelated to kpop, with the global kpop audience.

The comments are not gentle. They go as far as to say "Go back to your country, no one is stopping you" or "Stop letting him make money in our country." There are also comments on the blatant racist attacks on Asian people in America that went unchecked, pointing out how Okeyre remained silent during those incidents.

Okyere deleted his post the next day. On a new post he apologizes in Korean, how he didn't intend to jeopardize the students, and how he didn't mean to offend the public. He acknowledges his posting could've triggered people and promises to be a 'better' Sam Okyere moving forward.

The sentiment of the general public, as seen in top comments and postings, is outwardly critical of Okeyre. They find it offensive that Western standards of cultural sensitivity should be forced upon them when Korea has a different cultural and historical context.

Okeyre was cornered even further when Benjamin Aidoo, the person filmed in the original meme, made a post showing support for the students - congratulating their graduation.

Debates surrounding the use of Blackface in Korea is no where close to being over. It seems a practice deemed so problematic in one continent should be considered the same in another, especially when it took decades of activism to eradicate the problem. But some urge that this incident should not be judged according to Western standards, where Black enslavement remains a deep scar. They say it should be seen as a cultural exchange between Korea and Ghana, independent from the atrocities committed by Europeans. The question of intent is also a major player. If the Coffin Boys didn't have the intention to degrade Black people, should they be called out for being racist?

Whether or not the Coffin Boys should be seen as racist has yet to reach a consensus, but the responses serve as a thermometer to gauge the wide spectrum of cultural sensitivity. The concern is, however, whether this practice will persist - now that everyone knows the history of Blackface and its potential to be offensive.

UPDATE: A group of Gong-Joo Highschool students re-created the meme once again, with black make up on, and tagged Sam Okyere on the photo.

Even though he had to be boo-ed off stage, Sam Okyere's contribution to the conversation of cultural sensitivity in Korea had been invaluable. If you are in support of his message, sending him a DM of encouragement might be a nice gesture as he is probably feeling extremely disheartened.