"Is It Funny to See Women Feeling Threatened?"
Wave of Criticism Erupts
University Students Admit "We Were Careless" and Apologize
Korea University, Hanbat National University, Chungbuk National University Issue Apologies One After Another
Students from Korea University, Hanbat National University, and Chungbuk National University who posted videos making light of stalking crimes have faced a wave of criticism and have issued a series of apologies, admitting their actions were "careless."
Since late last year, these students became the center of controversy by imitating videos that went viral overseas, mainly on social media. The videos depicted a man following a woman down an empty alley, with subtitles such as "Quickly Taking a Stranger Woman Home." The footage showed a woman hastening her steps after sensing someone behind her.
The student council of the Department of Archaeology and Art History at Chungbuk National University became the center of controversy for posting a video titled "Quickly Taking Classmates to the Student Lounge at Night." Instagram of the Department of Archaeology and Art History, Chungbuk National University
Students from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Korea University posted a video on their Instagram club account, calling it "A Typical EE (short for Electrical and Electronic Engineering) Safe Walk Home Service." Hanbat National University uploaded a video showing three male students following one female student, with the caption "Quickly Taking a Female Student Home After Late-Night Studying." Chungbuk National University posted a similar video in the same format on the department's official Instagram account as part of a midterm snack event promotion.
As the videos spread online, criticism mounted. Responses included, "It's shocking that they thought women being threatened was funny," "They treated a woman's fear as entertainment," and "They turned women's fear for their safety into content after making them run."
On April 18, the Korea University School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering club issued a statement saying, "We sincerely apologize for causing discomfort and displeasure to many people with our recent video post." They added, "We deeply reflect on our carelessness in treating a socially sensitive issue lightly and using it as a source of humor. We also take responsibility for downplaying the seriousness of this issue."
They acknowledged, "The video contained content that could be perceived as threatening by those who feel anxious about stalking." However, they insisted, "We had absolutely no intention of making light of or encouraging criminal behavior." They continued, "Regardless of our intentions, we now realize that our actions could have caused discomfort and a sense of threat to many people. This stemmed from our lack of awareness and careless judgment, and we fully understand that there is no excuse for it."
The student councils of the Department of Industrial and Management Engineering at Hanbat National University and the Department of Archaeology and Art History at Chungbuk National University also issued apologies in turn. Hanbat National University stated, "It was clearly our oversight not to consider that the situation depicted in the video could be perceived as unpleasant." Chungbuk National University said, "We made a social issue seem like a trivial joke, thereby dulling the sense of awareness about the problem. We apologize to those who felt uncomfortable."
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