In the past decade or so, Korean entertainment—particularly Korean dramas and pop music—has thrived beyond South Korea’s physical boundaries, drawing in a highly diverse, international fanbase that continues to increase day by day. By means of the Internet, many fans have been able to access and participate in the various aspects of Korean entertainment, despite differences in culture and language barriers.  In recent years, this expansion of Korean entertainment into the international sector has been dubbed “the Hallyu Wave,” proving that entertainment companies and even the government of South Korea recognize the importance and the benefits of the proliferation of Korean entertainment beyond their domestic frontier. This expansion, however, has shed light on a few troubling forms of entertainment that have caused repeated outrage, displeasure, and sadness among international fans.

One in particular is the use of blackface.

Blackface is defined as “a form of theatrical makeup used by performers to represent a black person.” Though there’s no official consensus on its origin, blackface became wildly popular during the 19th century in minstrel shows in the United States. Using greasepaint or other means, white performers would darken their skin and even go as far as exaggerating the size of their lips to provide a caricaturized image of a black person. The use of blackface in theater and performance lasted for many years and its popularity grew outside of the United States to other parts of the world.

Blackface, unfortunately, has allowed privileged people the opportunity to demean and dehumanize black people or dark-skinned people through racist caricatures and harmful stereotypes under the guise of comedy and humor. Through blackface, performers have routinely characterized black people as savage, uncouth, primitive, unsanitary, unintelligent, and belligerent; the same descriptors used for wild animals. To exacerbate matters even further, these stereotypes have cemented themselves in virtually every other part of the world, facilitating the sentiment of anti-black racism.

Clearly, this practice has found its niche in Korean entertainment with example after example of gag artists and idols painting themselves as dark-skinned or black in an attempt to imitate other dark-skinned Asians or black people in order to cause laughter among their Korean audience.

But who is laughing?

Certainly not the many black fans who make up the international fandom, as well as many non-black fans who empathize with us and understand how demeaning and hurtful these characterizations are.

In light of the disrespect, abuse, and murder of black people strictly due to the color of their skin that continues in many parts of the world, including the United States, this form of blatant racism under the veil of “entertainment” and “comedy” is intolerable and unacceptable on all accounts, whatever the explanation or excuse may be.

This is not “honoring” black people.

This is not harmless humor.

There is no shielding the use of blackface in the same way that there is no shielding the deliberate slanting of eyes to appear “Asian.”

South Koreans, like any other people of a particular nationality, are proud of their country, their culture and their values.

Would they be proud to know that the use of blackface reflects poorly on them as a whole, from the creators who pitched the idea, from the producers who greenlit it to be broadcast on national television, from the performers who willingly allow themselves to be painted in blackface to the people who openly laugh at the caricatures, whether as a televised audience or in the privacy of their own homes?

Would they be proud to know that the use of blackface, despite numerous incidents of expressed outrage from international fans, as if they are not watching along with them, continues to be pilfered at televised events?

Would they be proud to know that they gleefully partake in a disgustingly offensive and racist activity?

Would they be proud to know that the rest of the world beyond the international fanbase is watching South Korea and drawing their own conclusions on the open-mindedness and progressive thinking (or lack thereof) on race in South Korea?

Would they be proud to know that their image as a respectful and polite nation is being tarnished with every new instance of blackface?

Seeing as the Korean government and entertainment companies pride themselves on a wholesome, clean image of their country showcased to the rest of the world through the Hallyu Wave, we simply cannot understand how they could sit idly by and allow this continued use of blackface, despite the repeated backlash.

To that end, we international fans of Korean entertainment, ask for Korean broadcasting stations to ban the use of blackface. We ask that you respect our humanity as black people and do not demean us for your own pleasure. We ask that you treat us as human beings, not to be made fun of for your own enjoyment. We ask for the right to continue to express our love for your culture and entertainment without feeling disrespected and saddened and inferior because of the color of our skin.