Gangbuk office apologizes for video parodying NewJeans' Hanni

The Gangbuk-gu office has apologized after coming under fire for releasing a video parodying K-pop group NewJeans’ Vietnamese-Australian member Hanni, who recently appeared at a parliamentary audit.

The video, which was released last Thursday, was taken down on Sunday, following backlash from viewers criticizing the video of discrimination against foreign nationals.

“We humbly accept the concerns and criticisms that the video’s content could be seen as discriminatory toward foreign nationals,” the office said on its YouTube channel on Monday. “We sincerely apologize for causing any distress.”

The office added that it will exercise more caution and deliberation in producing future content.

The thumbnail image of the controversial video shows a woman sporting the same outfit and hairstyle Hanni wore at the National Assembly audit last Tuesday. Hanni attended the National Assembly to testify on workplace bullying and systematic discrimination involving her agency's parent company, Hybe.

In the clip, a male character makes a mistake at work, prompting another man to say, “Just act like Hanni and pretend you didn’t understand. The lawmaker will let it slide.” This reference stirred backlash online for allegedly mocking Hanni’s language skills as a foreign national.

Coupang Play’s comedy show “Saturday Night Live Korea” sparked similar criticism over a skit that parodied the parliamentary audit session and imitated Hanni’s Korean accent. Viewers condemned the program as insensitive for ridiculing Hanni’s accent and language ability, labeling it as racial discrimination.