Yoo Jae Suk Under Fire for ‘Insensitive’ Remarks About Foreign Guests on ‘You Quiz on the Block’

Popular host Yoo Jae Suk faces backlash following a recent episode of tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block,” where he commented that some netizens deemed racially inappropriate.

The show “Foreigners in Name Only,” highlighted naturalized citizens who lived here most, if not all, of their lives.

Throughout the episode, Yoo repeatedly exclaims over the guests’ Korean language skills, given that they have lived in Korea for most of their lives.

Some saw the comments as harmless compliments, but others insisted they belied a racially insensitive manner of thinking, especially when it came to guests such as Amarachi — who was born in Seoul but is of Nigerian nationality.

This has drawn comparison to a previous incident when NCT’s Mark was praised for using English in an interview in the US, which is his first language – netizens remarked on how this shows a lack of common sense.

Some critics say that those kinds of comments — well-intentioned as they are — can contribute to milder stereotypes and ignorance regarding cultural identity.

Jae Suk had been very clear about racism in the past on his show, so this point was especially poignant. Debates around what Yoo said and how South Korean media approach cultural sensitivity continue online.

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Rovelyn Barba