[Sportschosun Kim Jun-seok] Creator Park Wi is already facing intense backlash after releasing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of his fall accident on KTX-Sancheon. Now, a video of his KTX-Sancheon boarding from four years ago has resurfaced, sparking another round of debate.
On online communities and social media, parts of a video Park Wi uploaded to his YouTube channel WERACLE (We Are Miracle) in August 2022, titled "How a Person with Lower-Body Paralysis Rides KTX-Sancheon," have recently spread again.
At the time, Park Wi showed how wheelchair users can use KTX-Sancheon. He explained that a wheelchair lift can be requested through an app, and the video also showed him boarding the train with help from station staff.
What has drawn the most attention from netizens recently is the moment Park Wi gets onto the train.
In the video, a station staff member installs the wheelchair lift, helps Park Wi board, and then bows his head in greeting.
However, the released footage does not show Park Wi separately thanking the staff member. After waving to the camera, he boards the train.
The scene did not cause much controversy when it was first posted four years ago, but it is now drawing renewed attention alongside the recent dispute over the released CCTV footage of the KTX-Sancheon fall accident.
Earlier, on the 14th, Park Wi fell while getting off KTX-Sancheon after his wheelchair ramp caught on the foot of a Social Service Agent who was supporting it.
He later released the CCTV footage from the accident on his YouTube channel, which has more than 1 million subscribers.
He expressed his discomfort at the time, saying, "What made me angriest was not that the Social Service Agent had any intention, but the fact that his foot was placed on the ramp itself."
However, the CCTV also showed the Social Service Agent repeatedly apologizing to Park Wi. Critics then questioned whether it was appropriate to make the incident public through a major YouTube channel.
As the controversy grew, Park Wi eventually deleted the video and posted an apology. The fallout continued, with some subscribers leaving the channel and parts of his scheduled lecture appearances being canceled.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that Park Wi has used KTX-Sancheon more than 300 times while traveling across the country for lectures and content creation, and that he has received help from staff throughout that time.
Against that backdrop, the contrast between the recent controversy and the older video has reignited criticism.
Some netizens reacted by saying, "He should at least have thanked the station staff member who helped him," "The station staff bowed, but it was disappointing to see him just board the train," and "If he has received help hundreds of times, he should have shown more gratitude."
That said, it is difficult to conclude from the brief scene in the video alone that Park Wi did not thank the station staff in person. It is also possible that additional greetings were exchanged before or after filming, or in edited portions of the video.
narusi@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
