Park We Faces Backlash Over Disrespectful Attitude Toward Visually Impaired YouTuber Oneshot Hansol: "He Really Peeled the Shrimp—You Can See Everything, Can't You?"

[Sportschosun Reporter Lee Woo-joo] YouTuber Park We’s past attitude toward visually impaired YouTuber Oneshot Hansol has resurfaced as a subject of controversy. Critics say Park We’s remarks were disrespectful because he repeatedly questioned Oneshot Hansol’s disability and appeared surprised by his actions.

In 2022, a meeting between Park We and visually impaired YouTuber Oneshot Hansol was featured on Oneshot Hansol’s YouTube channel.

Oneshot Hansol met Park We at a campsite and pulled Park We’s wheelchair for him. Seeing him maneuver the wheelchair skillfully, Park We questioned him, saying, "How is this possible when you can’t see right now? I’m going to test you here." When Park We did not give him directions, Oneshot Hansol headed down a different path. Park We then acknowledged, "You really couldn’t see." Even afterward, Park We continued to question him, saying, "Be honest. You can see everything, can’t you?"

After arriving at the tent, Oneshot Hansol lit a fire with a torch and grilled meat. As Oneshot Hansol cut the meat by relying on his sense of touch, Park We said, "I’ll admit it. I admit you’re not faking it," adding, "I’m suddenly starting to get angry." Park We then handed Oneshot Hansol a shrimp and suggested that he try peeling it. After Oneshot Hansol removed the entire shell, Park We exclaimed to the production crew, "He really peeled the shrimp."

The video is being revisited amid controversy over Park We’s recent public criticism of a social service worker. Critics say Park We’s attitude toward Oneshot Hansol was disrespectful. In particular, they argue that Park We’s repeated doubts and his surprise at seeing Oneshot Hansol peel a shrimp made it seem as though he viewed the everyday abilities of a visually impaired person as extraordinarily unusual. They also found it uncomfortable that he appeared to assume a person could not perform certain actions simply because they were visually impaired, and only seemed to verify the disability after seeing Oneshot Hansol actually perform them.

There were also reactions that it was inappropriate for Park We to have Oneshot Hansol personally light the fire and grill the meat. The focus of criticism was not Oneshot Hansol’s ability to complete the tasks by relying on his senses, but Park We’s continued doubts and surprise as he watched him do so.

Netizens responded, "Having a visually impaired person grill meat crossed the line," "How can you make a visually impaired person use a torch?" and "Who is he to decide whether to acknowledge it or not?"

Meanwhile, Park We recently sparked controversy after saying that he fell while getting off a KTX train and publicly criticizing the social service worker who was helping him disembark. After Park We’s attitude, which appeared to blame the worker, drew criticism for going too far—even after he released the relevant CCTV footage—Park We promptly deleted the video and apologized. However, the controversy continued as content from Park We featuring the keyword "social experiment camera" was also revisited. Although the content was intended to highlight the difficulties faced by people with disabilities, it was also criticized for ultimately portraying society’s view of people with disabilities in an excessively negative way.

wjlee@sportschosun.com

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.