'Gwanjjak Sonyeondan' Uijeongbu High's Crossed Line Parody... 'Blackface' Controversy

Uijeongbu High School's 'Gwanjjak Sonyeondan' Parody Featuring 'Blackface'
Online Debate Over Racist Elements
"Blackface Itself Is Racist," "Cannot Laugh It Off"
Uijeongbu High School "Will Take Action After Internal Consultation"

Students of Uijeongbu High School parodying 'Gwanjjag Sonyeondan,' which gained popularity on YouTube. Photo by Uijeongbu High School Student Council Facebook post capture.

[Asia Economy reporters Seunggon Han and intern Yeonju Kim] Uijeongbu High School, which attracts attention every year with graduation photos parodying trending figures, has revealed this year's graduation photo scene, sparking controversy over racial discrimination for parodying Black people. Some netizens raised issues about 'blackface' and criticized the students and teachers involved. As the controversy spread, the school began investigating the facts.

The Uijeongbu High School Student Council posted on their official Facebook page on the 3rd, saying, "We give a big round of applause to the third-year students for their ability and effort in showing high quality despite the short preparation period," and uploaded photos in three installments.

Among the graduation photos released that day was a parody of the 'Coffin Dance' that gained huge popularity on YouTube. The 'Coffin Dance' is a parody of pallbearers dancing while carrying a coffin at a funeral in Ghana. The video attracted global attention for its unusual scene of dancing at a funeral, and in Korea, it was nicknamed 'Gwanjjag Sonyeondan' (Coffin Dance Boys) borrowing the name of the group BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan).

The five Uijeongbu High students who parodied the Coffin Dance imitated the appearance of the pallbearers in the video exactly. The problem lies in the fact that during the parody, they even imitated the skin color, which is considered taboo due to its racial discriminatory connotations.

'Blackface' is a stage makeup where a non-Black person paints their face black or exaggerates thick lips to imitate Black people. It was popular in 19th-century Britain and the United States but has been criticized and tabooed as a racially discriminatory act since the 1960s American civil rights movement.

Photo by Online Community Capture

As the graduation photos of Uijeongbu High students were revealed, netizens responded critically, saying, "Blackface itself is racial discrimination," "There is a limit even in parody; it was reckless," and "This cannot be laughed off."

One netizen pointed out, "It is no different from white people mocking Asians by slanting their eyes," adding, "There are areas where expression is acceptable and areas that must never be crossed."

They continued, "The fact that students decided to dress up as Black people and take photos is problematic, but the biggest issue is that not a single person within the school pointed out that this was racial discrimination," emphasizing, "Blackface itself is clear racial discrimination."

Another netizen criticized, "I don't know what the teachers were doing. What kind of qualifications does a teacher have if they cannot teach that racial discrimination is an absolute taboo?" and said, "The teachers' fault is the biggest issue."

They added, "It should be taught that Blackface can never be a source of humor under any circumstances."

On the other hand, some netizens argued that it was just a parody of the trending content 'Coffin Dance' and there was nothing problematic. They claimed, "There was no intention to belittle; they just wanted to imitate exactly," "It is literally just makeup. It doesn't seem to have a mocking intent," "It's clever," and "It's a simple parody, so why is it an issue?" arguing it is difficult to see it as racial discrimination.

Students of Uijeongbu High School parodying 'Gwanjjag Sonyeondan,' which gained popularity on YouTube. Photo by Uijeongbu High School Student Council Facebook post capture.

Previously, the entertainment industry also faced multiple controversies for using 'blackface' as a comedic device.

Comedian Hong Hyun-hee sparked controversy in 2017 when she appeared on a comedy program wearing Blackface makeup. Broadcaster Sam Hammington publicly criticized her on his social network service (SNS), saying, "It's really pathetic. Is it funny to mock a race like that?"

Ghanaian-born broadcaster Sam Okyere also pointed out Hong Hyun-hee's makeup, stating, "Blackface makeup from 2017. This is unacceptable. We do not exist for comedy," and added, "It must definitely stop. I am really disappointed. Stop Blackface now! Stop racial discrimination now. Racial discrimination must be stopped immediately."

Meanwhile, as the controversy over racial discrimination grew, the school announced it would take related measures after investigating the facts.

A Uijeongbu High School official told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "We are aware that controversy is arising over the students' photos," and said, "We plan to review it within the school based on SNS materials and other sources."

They added, "Nothing specific has been decided yet," and "We intend to take measures after gathering opinions from students, teachers, and others inside the school."