The Daechi-dong Parody That Sparked a Heated Debate
Satire of Daechi-dong Parents Becomes a Social Issue
Criticism Grows Over Crossing the Line from Satire to Mockery
"Jamie, don’t kick the door with your foot."
In Daechi-dong, a mother known as 'Jamie Mom' waits in the car for her 4-year-old child to finish at the academy. She is busy shuttling the child to another academy or private tutoring. Meals are often replaced with kimbap eaten inside the car. She even provides private education for potty training, jegichagi (Korean shuttlecock kicking), and kite flying. This character, portrayed by comedian Lee Su-ji in the YouTube content 'Human Fake Documentary: I Love My Child,' resonated with the public and became a hot topic. Two 10-minute videos recorded 12.7 million views within a month.
A parody video featuring a 'Daechi-dong Dad' also appeared. Jamie Dad, reminiscent of a corporate office worker, is depicted as someone who studied in the U.S. He is often seen checking his phone and busy working on his laptop in the park or inside the car. This evokes the image of an upper-class office worker. He dines at a kalguksu (hand-cut noodle) restaurant in Eunma Shopping Center and consciously uses honorific language when emotions run high during conversations with his wife.
The content’s influence was significant. The padding jacket Lee Su-ji wore, the bag she carried, and even the car she drove sparked interest regarding their brands. The fact that these were items commonly seen in Daechi-dong garnered empathy, but reports emerged that "Daechi-dong mothers are showing resistance by selling specific brand padding jackets on secondhand trading platforms," leading to criticism that the content ridiculed Daechi-dong parents.
Satire of Daechi-dong has become a social issue. Recently, KBS’s current affairs program 'Chujeok 60 Minutes' aired an episode titled 'The 7-Year-Old Exam.' It highlighted the phenomenon of the level test taken to enter famous English and math academies in Daechi-dong, known as the '7-Year-Old Exam.'
The ENA drama 'Riding Life' depicts a working mom picking up her 7-year-old child from kindergarten and taking them to academies. She struggles to send her child to a prestigious elementary school and forcibly drags the child to academies.
Daechi-dong, part of the Gangnam 8 school districts and known as the number one area for private education, is a subject that piques public curiosity. Surrounded by sky-high apartments and lined with luxury cars in front of academies, it is perceived as a place not accessible to just anyone, which adds to its intrigue.
However, some popular culture content has been criticized for crossing the line from satire into mockery. Additionally, reactions noted that the characters in the content resemble the daily life of a specific actor who shared videos on their YouTube channel, leading to unintended harm such as the actor making the videos private.
In response to the various reactions, comedian Lee Su-ji appeared on KBS Radio’s 'Oh My Girl Hyojung’s Turn Up the Volume' on the 6th and said, "I posted it with the intention of leaving it as a memory," adding, "I didn’t think it would go as I intended. There have been misunderstandings and I feel some pressure." She also said, "My usual hobby is observation. All characters are based on people around me or my experiences."
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