[Sportschosun Park A-ram] Actor Choi Woo-sik is facing online controversy after claims emerged that he deliberately ignored a Black fan at a fashion show in Paris, France.
On the 26th, a Black woman posted a video on her Social Network Service (SNS) account showing what she experienced at the Paris fashion show. She claimed that she was the only person who did not receive an autograph from a Korean actor and said she felt she had been discriminated against in the process.
The woman, who introduced herself as an actor and writer, said, "I am not someone who usually calls things racism easily. But this was so shocking, and I still feel uncomfortable when I think about it."
She said she was a longtime fan of Choi Woo-sik and had attended the event with a sign and poster bearing the actor's name. She then claimed, "The actor walked right up to me, but passed me by and only signed for the fans around me. He signed everyone else's items and then left, except for mine."
She added, "The issue was not that I did not get an autograph. What I could not understand was that he responded to everyone else in front of me. I was the only Black person in that area at the time. I do not know whether it was intentional, but I was deeply hurt."
The woman later explained that she also saw Choi Woo-sik at the after-party, but deliberately stayed away to avoid causing a misunderstanding. She said, "It felt as if I did not belong there," and added, "If this happened because of my skin color, that would be very sad."
In the released video, the actor's face was blurred, but another video shot from a different angle spread across SNS, revealing that the actor was Choi Woo-sik. Debate over the racism allegation has since continued on overseas online communities and SNS.
There has also been considerable support for Choi Woo-sik. Another video from the scene showed him moving through a crowd of fans and signing autographs at random, while also naturally responding to requests from other Black fans. As a result, many say it is difficult to conclude that he intentionally excluded a specific race.
The venue was reportedly extremely crowded, as many fans rushed in all at once right after the fashion show ended. Some have suggested that Choi Woo-sik may simply have failed to notice the fan's request or may have passed by in the moment.
Choi Woo-sik has rarely been involved in racism-related controversy despite his long career in Korea and abroad. In 2020, after George Floyd's death in the United States, he also joined the anti-racism #BlackoutTuesday campaign and shared a related message.
Meanwhile, Choi Woo-sik attended AMI's 2027 spring-summer collection show in Paris, France, on the 25th and is currently continuing filming for his next project, the tvN drama "Goraebyeol."
tokkig@sportschosun.com
