"'Woo Young-woo' Popularity Tarnished"...Flood of Criticism Over 'Disability Mockery' in Parody Video

"Drama Criticized for Undermining Intent by Highlighting Disability Prejudice"
Past 'Gibongi' Actor Shin Hyun-joon Also Faced 'Disability Mockery Controversy'
Human Rights Commission: "Expressions and Actions That Promote Disability Prejudice Must Be Avoided"

Some parody videos of the ENA drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' are receiving criticism for mocking disabilities. The photo shows a parody video uploaded by the YouTube channel 'Uwaso' on the 18th. Photo by YouTube video capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] The drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" has been a hot topic day after day, leading to a flood of parody videos. Amid this, concerns have been raised that imitating the behavior and speech patterns of the protagonist Woo Young-woo (played by Park Eun-bin), who has autism spectrum disorder, could amount to mockery and ridicule of autistic individuals, calling for caution.

The YouTube channel "Uwaso" faced backlash after releasing a video titled "Extraordinary Wife Uwaso" on the 18th. In the video, a female YouTuber mimics Woo Young-woo's (Park Eun-bin) speech pattern, saying to her husband, "Meals are about valuing the heart. The menu changes according to the heart." This parodies Woo Young-woo's line, "The law values the heart. The crime changes according to the heart."

Earlier, another YouTube channel "Miseonzzang" stirred controversy by using the term "Woo Young-woo Syndrome." This follows the meme trend of teasing people who imitate the behaviors of admired celebrities like IU or GD by saying they have "IU Syndrome" or "GD Syndrome." In the video, Miseonzzang lists characteristics of a friend imitating Woo Young-woo, such as ▲opening eyes excessively wide ▲wearing a headset they usually don't use ▲suddenly liking whales ▲eating gimbap vertically.

Viewers who watched these videos criticized the imitation of behaviors of individuals with autism spectrum disorder as mockery. This is because certain behaviors may stem from the disability. They also pointed out that simply imitating a celebrity's behavior out of admiration is fundamentally different from mimicking the traits of a disability.

Above all, there is strong criticism that these videos dilute the message conveyed by the drama. "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" depicts Woo Young-woo, a lawyer with autism spectrum disorder, solving various cases and growing as a lawyer. The drama has been praised by viewers for highlighting social prejudices and unfair discrimination against people with disabilities while making efforts not to provide stereotypes about autism spectrum disorder.

Devoted viewers criticize, "Some thoughtless parody videos have rendered the efforts of the actors and production team meaningless." It is known that the cast and crew took great care to avoid portraying incorrect views about autism during the preparation of this drama. Actress Park Eun-bin, who met with advisory professors before filming to study autism theories, revealed that she tried not to unconsciously imitate characters or real people previously depicted in media. This was out of concern that it might stereotype autistic traits or instill wrong perceptions. The whale model and the soft pillows filling Young-woo's room were also created by the production team based on thorough prior research on autism.

As the controversy grew, the YouTubers involved stated that there was no intention to mock. Uwaso issued a statement on the 19th saying, "We aimed to naturally induce laughter by capturing the lovable aspects of the 'Woo Young-woo' character and my wife (female participant)." They explained, "There was absolutely no intention to ridicule or belittle disabilities." They added, "Everyone has different values, so some may feel uncomfortable. If you feel it doesn't suit you, please unsubscribe or block."

Miseonzzang also apologized in a statement, saying, "I feel ashamed and sorry thinking about those who may have been hurt because of me," and promised, "I will be more careful and thoughtful before creating content in the future." The controversial video has been deleted and is no longer available on the YouTube channel as of the 20th.

Poster of ENA drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo'. Photo by ENA

Similar controversies over mocking disabilities have occurred in the past, such as with the film "Barefoot Ki-bong." Released in 2006, this film was based on the true story of marathon runner Eom Ki-bong, who has an intellectual disability. When actor Shin Hyun-joon, who played the protagonist Ki-bong, appeared on a variety show in 2018, the MCs asked him to do the "Ki-bong greeting." Shin Hyun-joon responded with a somewhat exaggerated expression and a clumsy speech pattern, prompting the cast to applaud and laugh loudly.

Viewers criticized the broadcasters not only for imitating the speech and behavior of a person with a disability but also for making it a source of laughter. While it could be seen as reenacting a character previously played, consuming it as entertainment was clearly deemed inappropriate. On the 9th, a petition to abolish the program was posted on the Blue House's National Petition Board. The petitioner stated, "I report the mockery, unreasonable laughter, and belittlement of people with developmental disabilities by Shin Hyun-joon and the fixed panelists, and plan to file complaints against the broadcasting officials with relevant agencies," adding, "I petition for the abolition of the program and an apology from the broadcasting officials."

In response, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) issued a 'caution' opinion to the broadcaster that aired the program. They noted concerns that reenacting the speech and behavior of people with developmental disabilities as a joke could reinforce negative stereotypes and prejudices against a broad group of disabled individuals. The NHRCK expressed the view that "expressions and behaviors that may promote stereotypes or prejudices against people with disabilities should not be exposed to the general public through broadcasts."