Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
While labelling this as the first controversy that RESCENE have gotten into since their viral rise is probably overselling anything negative actually happening to them, certainly this dialect situation has grown beyond what anybody probably could’ve anticipated, not the least of whom is me when I made this quip.
Since then it’s become an actual discourse on mainstream news involving political and regional causes. Say what you want, but RESCENE has motion.
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Anyway, onto the explanation of the issue.
In one of Woni‘s recent videos with Minami on her viral YouTube channel, there’s a scene in a darkened room and the producer remarked to Woni, “Isn’t it scary?” Woni then replies in her Gyeongsang Province dialect, “It’s scary. The lighting itself is scary.” Part of that dialect means she uses the suffix “-no”, saying “museopno”.
Well, a Gyeongnam MBC producer named Kim Hyun Ji heard that and took to social media on July 1, “I watched a well-received YouTube clip, and I was very upset to see a female idol and a PD amicably exchanging the ‘~no’ suffix.” That was deemed problematic because the suffix is frequently used within right-wing community Ilbe to disparage former President Roh Moo Hyun, as they add it to standard Korean sentence to deride him.
But that “standard Korean” part is why many ended up defending Woni, as professors from universities have stepped up to clarify that the suffix in that dialect is used in exclamations and declarations, making Woni’s use of it … well, normal. Evidence of Woni’s exact phrase being used as an exclamation or monologue in the 90s and 00s were found using web search, which predates any Ilbe influence and was found to be used in South Gyeongsang where Geoje is. Comedian Kim Si Duk, who has made his name doing dialect comedy, also stepped forward to defend her and the Gyeongsang region and dialect that he hails from.
In response, an overwhelming majority of netizens pushed back, both pointing out that the way others use the suffix aren’t Woni’s problem, and furthermore that censoring one’s dialect just because it’s been co-opted is absurd, “She is from Geoje and just used her regional dialect, so why is it a problem?,” “People in Gyeongsang Province naturally speak that way,” and “Are you trying to censor dialect now?” They fumed on the feedback board of the network, asking whether their grandmothers who use the phrasing are also Ilbe and if all 12 million of them are Ilbe bugs now.
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That brings us to the recent news, which is that Geoje City themselves defended Woni’s use of the phrase, describing it as a common expression from South Gyeongsang.
“Recently, various opinions have been raised regarding RESCENE member Woni’s use of the expression “무섭노” in the group’s YouTube content.
Woni, a member of RESCENE, has consistently promoted her hometown of Geoje through her YouTube channel, Hello I’m Woni Nice to Meet You, introducing the distinctive Geoje dialect and everyday scenery of the city. Her sincere and down-to-earth personality has earned her much love from viewers.
The expression in question is a dialectal and colloquial expression commonly used in the South Gyeongsang region. Geoje City’s position is that it is inappropriate to interpret this expression as one carrying a particular political intention.
Constructive criticism and diverse opinions should be respected. However, the indiscriminate spread of unverified information and excessive criticism can cause unnecessary harm to those involved. We ask for your cooperation in fostering a mature culture of communication based on mutual consideration.
Geoje City will continue to do its utmost, together with ambassadors who represent the region, to enhance Geoje’s brand value and the city’s image.”
Look, it was always inevitable that with a meteoric rise comes the scrutiny and antis and resentment, but as far as first controversies go, this is probably an ideal one because it mostly only ended up galvanizing Woni’s hometown and region behind the group.
The best way I can summarize the netizen response to this is a compilation of “nos” being said. Enjoy.
