Popular Korean vlogger Tzuyang met immense backlash when he uploaded a YouTube video that appeared to mock Filipinos and their manner of speaking.
The offensive YouTube video uploaded on 28 January featured South Korean comedian Kim Ji-young, whom Tzuyang met up with as she visited a Vietnamese restaurant.
The comedian then made fun of the Filipino accent by playing a character called “Ni Tong,” a Filipino who moved to South Korea to marry her husband, a farmer.
“Hello, I am Ni Tong, and I have a beautiful smile. I was formerly the wife of a farmer, but now I am a comedian,” Kim said in broken Korean and a thick Filipino accent.
The video immediately received criticism from Tzuyang’s viewers after it was uploaded on the platform.
Tzuyang, who has amassed over nine million subscribers, issued a contrite statement in three languages, including Filipino, where she expressed her “sincere apologies.”
“Gusto ko po mag express ng aking sincerest apology regarding sa video na i-upload noong 28th ng Enero” (I want to express my sincere apology regarding the video I uploaded on the 28th of January), the YouTuber wrote.
“Gusto ko po magsabi na marami po akong respeto [sa mga Filipino] at lagi naman po akong magsasalamat sa mga lahat ng viewers ko sa Pilipinas pero hindi [ko] po na pansin na itong content ngayon ay pwede maging offensive sa ibang viewers” (I want to say that I have so much respect for Filipinos and I always thank all my Filipino viewers, but I realized that my content can be offensive to my viewers), she added.
The racially insensitive video has been taken down.
“Salamat po para sa mga feedback nyo (Thank you for all your feedback),” she concluded, adding that she would be more careful and cautious about her future uploads.
Tzuyang is a popular South Korean YouTuber who uploads mukbang content on her channel.