Yang Ja-kyung's Award Speech Subtitles Omit Only 'Women'... Controversy Over 'Devil's Editing'

SBS "No Intent to Distort," Video Edited

SBS faced strong criticism from viewers after removing the reference to 'women' from actress Yang Ja-kyung's acceptance speech.

Yang Ja-kyung delivered a message to women urging them "not to give up," but SBS reported the content without including the word 'women.' As the controversy grew, the video was set to private on YouTube.

On the 12th (local time), Yang Ja-kyung won the Best Actress award for the film Everything Everywhere All at Once at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (LA), becoming the first Asian actress to do so.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Yang Ja-kyung said in her acceptance speech, "Tonight, this trophy is a spark of hope and possibility for the children watching who look like me. It is proof that dreams come true. Dream big and make those dreams come true. And ladies, do not let anyone tell you that your golden age is over. Do not give up."

On the 13th (Korean time), SBS reported this on the 8 o'clock news but edited out the part where Yang Ja-kyung said "And ladies," and did not include it in the subtitles.

According to SBS's report, Yang Ja-kyung said, "My award is proof of hope and possibility. Do not let others tell you that your prime is over. Never give up." Meanwhile, KBS and MBC reported the speech without removing the part where she mentioned women.

Viewers reacted immediately. On SBS's website free bulletin board, comments criticized, saying, "SBS always does this," "Why remove 'women' deliberately?" and "Apologize for the distorted report."

Photo by SBS capture

Following strong protests, the SBS News YouTube channel set the previous day's broadcast video containing the report to private and then uploaded a new video without deleting the phrase "And ladies."

Yang Ja-kyung also mentioned women's rights in an op-ed for The New York Times (NYT) that day. She wrote, "I received my first Oscar at 60 years old. I know well what society expects from women."

She added, "I also know very well that my experience is not comparable to that of women heroes on the front lines of crisis," and said, "At this joyful moment, what I can do is to shine a spotlight on those who are often unrecognized."

Considering her request to direct attention to women's issues, SBS's subtitle editing is widely seen as significantly deviating from the individual's intent.

SBS issued an official statement saying, "The reporter's intention in drafting the article and the message conveyed through the report was to communicate the fact that the actress achieved success by breaking through the 'wall of discrimination' as an Asian woman," and asked for understanding that "there was no intention to distort with purpose."

They also added, "Because the phrase 'And ladies' carries implications, we have revised all digital content," and "We will be more careful in the future to ensure that interviewees' messages are accurately conveyed."