Okyere is a Ghanaian television personality who first came into the South korean TV scene in 2014 when he appeared on a JBTC talk show “Non-Summit” to speak about his life as a foreigner living in South Korea. Since his debut on the show, Okyere has gone on to appear in numerous other productions. I considered him one of the most influential foreign entertainers in Korean show business as he really helped to bridge the gap between Korean & Africa and shone light to some of the misconceptions or ignorance spread about Africans in general. I’ll give him all the kudus, because we all know how rare & difficult it is for a foreigner in South Korea to work their way up from a mere exchange student to a full time regular panellist on a popular variety show. His wit, jovial and well thought out points was what gained him his global fame.
The controversy that got him Blacklisted & Cancelled
Only in South Korea, would you see a popular figure get cancelled and blacklisted from the industry because they did the right thing… *sigh*
Early August of 2020, a yearbook photo featuring local South Korean high school seniors putting on Blackface went viral. The photoshoot was a parody of a viral coffin dance by Ghanaian Pallbearers. Sam took to his instagram to express his frustration, condemning the act by calling it offensive, unfunny and racist.
“I feel regret and sadness to see something like this in 2020. This is not funny! From the stance of black people, this is very insulting. Please don’t do this! I can understand you’re trying to imitate a different culture, but is there a need to paint your face black? I wish things like this didn’t happen in Korea! It’s good to respect each other’s cultures. So I’d like to speak with you if I ever get the chance”
The Backlash
Sam was met with a major backlash by the South Korean public not long after his post went up, with a comment saying, “So, blackface is racist now???”. He was criticised for sharing the student’s image and the school name. Some even going as far as to accuse him of being anti-Asian and at one point sexually harassing actress Park Eun Hye. Essentially, the extreme reaction of Korean netizens and the subsequent boycotting of his shows & gigs, forced him to apologise on August 19th, 2022 on an episode of “PD’s Note”, 2 years after the controversy.
On the episode he was given the platform to address his controversies starting with the alleged sexual harassment of the actress Park Eun Hye. “I took a photo (with Park Eun Hye) and posted it on social media, but a friend left a comment saying, ‘If you fall into the charm of black people, you can’t come back’. My friend thought it was a joke, so I agreed. But this turns out to be sexual harassment.”
He continued on to express his feelings on the mockery blackface makeup made by the Uijeongbu High School students, saying “The students said it was a joke, but to me, it was something serious. I had to cover the students’ faces to post something like that, but I didn’t take care to do that by mistake. I didn’t contemplate things carefully back then. Now, looking back, it seems to have been a matter of expression. I should have said something like ‘it would have been perfect if they hadn’t colour their face in black.”
It was clear even after Sam apologised, that the Korean public was ready to accept him back as their once beloved African entertainer, as petitions to deport him began to gather steam.
The Controversy Continues…
A new episode of “Attack on Sisters” broadcasted on February 21, 2023, sees Sam Okyere once again address the controversy and apologises ‘again’ to the South Korean people. He apologised deeply saying, "Before I begin talking, I want to apologise. I apologise for disappointing everyone who showed their love for me. I sincerely want to apologise." He confessed that he got a call from the Ghanaian embassy, criticising him for his comments and threatening to send him back to Ghana. “They asked why a person like me was still in Korea. They said they would send me back to Ghana. To be honest, I did something wrong and I should accept the curses and malicious comments”, adding “During the 2022 Qatar World Cup, I saw lots of swear words on SNS after the match between South Korea and Ghana”.
Sam Okyere sincerely apologizes for the past racism controversy and pleas that he wants to continue to live in Korea https://t.co/TmSUXRSIQn
— allkpop (@allkpop) February 21, 2023
He shared that he went through many difficulties, revealing that all his jobs got cancelled and was blacklisted after the controversy. He later settled for working as a lecturer but couldn’t continue because he was reported on. When asked if he hated Korea, he replied, "If I did, would I be here? I want to live in Korea. I like Korea. I like Korean people. I also have a lot of Korean friends. When I go to restaurants, the restaurant owners treat me well. I learned about 'Jung' (bond) for the first time when I came to Korea."
My Final Thoughts
I don’t know how to feel about his apology. He wasn’t wrong, and he had every right to call those students racist for making a blackface parody. The extreme backlash and racism, with comments such as, “Go back to your country,” being thrown at Sam for daring to call out racism further revealed to me the low level of awareness on racial discrimination in South Korean society.
