Knetz react to Gfriend Sowon controversy

I think GFriend will quietly disband in November (when 5 of the 6 members signed - Eunha, a former Big Hit trainee, will probably re-sign).

Well not much of a surprise reaction.

Lmao I kept telling people they wouldn’t care. People keep going off about “ nazis were siding with Japan in WWll!!!” So? That doesn’t mean they know anything about them beyond that lmao. They clearly do not and have no reason to. I wouldn’t know Jack shit about nazi Germany if the American school system didn’t teach it more than slavery as if it happened in our country.

Quote from icyruios

as a chinese person who hsd grandparents suffer through WW2 i found that comment particularly interesting

If their korean fans are not mad abt it, they'd be fine

Rofl so what if she posed next to a Nazi doll, does that mean she agree with cold blooded murdering the Jews? Gosh these netzs are hella stupid...

Lol the WW in WWII stands for World War not Western War but I'm not surprised, I said in my group chat that SK only cares about Japan's involvement with the Axis alliance. Their Korean fanbase might be fine but if she doesn't apologize GF's international fanbase is gonna take a serious hit...but I feel like the overseas buddies are small

Quote from Oh_Kill_Em

Lol the WW in WWII stands for World War not Western War but I'm not surprised, I said in my group chat that SK only cares about Japan's involvement with the Axis alliance. Their Korean fanbase might be fine but if she doesn't apologize GF's international fanbase is gonna take a serious hit...but I feel like the overseas buddies are small

If you ask the average westerner about the asian side of the war they won’t have a clue what went on beyond Japan, most Americans can’t even list their own 50 states...so why should Koreans care about the western side? Lmao

Quote from raizcharms

If you ask the average westerner about the asian side of the war they won’t have a clue what went on beyond Japan, most Americans can’t even list their own 50 states...so why should Koreans care about the western side? Lmao

They should both care

ignorance of one group of people does not diminish the ignorance of another group.

ie. two wrongs don't make a right lol

Quote from raizcharms

If you ask the average westerner about the asian side of the war they won’t have a clue what went on beyond Japan, most Americans can’t even list their own 50 states...so why should Koreans care about the western side? Lmao

Average Korean is shallow about some of the Western history like European side of WW2 in this case. However, I think people are pissed that a Kpop company under Big Hit would allow for such airheaded mistake to happen.

Kpop is out there and they should be more careful about this sorta stuff as image is everything in Kpop and they actively try controversial stuff, but Koreans seem a little too oblivious by certain things. And also, this always keep happening (not just Koreans, East Asians in general which are big cultural asset exporters). People wonder they should have gotten the memo by now.

This is too small of a sample size.

Nazi is trending #2 on Naver right now by the way.

Quote from girlgroupstan21

4. [+71, -2]
But if the westerners are so sensitive about the Nazis, then why are they being so lenient towards the Rising Sun flag and Japanese Imperialism....? They f*cking look down on us when we criticize someone using the Rising Sun flag overseas and they treat us like we were being too fussy about it... It's funny know they don't know any basic history about the East while we have to know all the cultures of the West

The same can be said about the Sam Okyere situation. He tried to voice his concerns about racism in Korea and that blackface getup but y'all tried to kick him out of the country, got him to step down from his hosting show, and got him blacklisted.

Not surprised by most of the comments but both are awful no need to compare or justify one when both deserve the backlash.

oof I am exhausted...

So people have to be from the same BG as you to be empathetic... They are so ughh...

Op put a Trigger warning for Jewish and polish fans pls

Quote from selfmate

They should both care

ignorance of one group of people does not diminish the ignorance of another group.

ie. two wrongs don't make a right lol

As long as Westerners continue the superiority complex gig and demand that Koreans and other non western countries know their history meanwhile they know fuck all about others’ I’m gonna stick to they need to shut up and focus on the mess of their own countries, but that’s just me! Like the amount of people going “koreans” this and that, when so many western celebrities and politicians have been seen wearing nazi symbolism (their fav Prince Harry for example) and in America white people still to do this day get married, throw parties, and eat at restaurants in slave plantations.

Quote from sleeplessnights

Average Korean is shallow about some of the Western history like European side of WW2 in this case. However, I think people are pissed that a Kpop company under Big Hit would allow for such airheaded mistake to happen.

Kpop is out there and they should be more careful about this sorta stuff as image is everything in Kpop and they actively try controversial stuff, but Koreans seem a little too oblivious by certain things. And also, this always keep happening (not just Koreans, East Asians in general which are big cultural asset exporters). People wonder they should have gotten the memo by now.

That’s not why people are mad. People are making it quite clear they’re pissed she doesn’t know about their history when 99% of them don’t anything about Korea.

Of course they need to crack down on having a more globalized view, but I do not appreciate these westerners attitudes looking down on them as if they are any better. Only difference is when westerners ignorantly insult East Asians nothing happens because they aren’t as powerful.

i thought that's just a usual mannequin when i saw it this morning

Quote from raizcharms

As long as Westerners continue the superiority complex gig and demand that Koreans and other non western countries know their history meanwhile they know fuck all about others’ I’m gonna stick to they need to shut up and focus on the mess of their own countries, but that’s just me! Like the amount of people going “koreans” this and that, when so many western celebrities and politicians have been seen wearing nazi symbolism (their fav Prince Harry for example) and in America white people still to do this day get married, throw parties, and eat at restaurants in slave plantations.

That’s not why people are mad. People are making it quite clear they’re pissed she doesn’t know about their history when 99% of them don’t anything about Korea.

Of course they need to crack down on having a more globalized view, but I do not appreciate these westerners attitudes looking down on them as if they are any better. Only difference is when westerners ignorantly insult East Asians nothing happens because they aren’t as powerful.

May I ask where are you from btw? as in background or ethnicity because the bolded part I found very interesting

Quote from raizcharms

That’s not why people are mad. People are making it quite clear they’re pissed she doesn’t know about their history when 99% of them don’t anything about Korea.

Of course they need to crack down on having a more globalized view, but I do not appreciate these westerners attitudes looking down on them as if they are any better. Only difference is when westerners ignorantly insult East Asians nothing happens because they aren’t as powerful.

I don't appreciate either, but you have to be careful to not turn it into whataboutism.

Quote from raizcharms

If you ask the average westerner about the asian side of the war they won’t have a clue what went on beyond Japan, most Americans can’t even list their own 50 states...so why should Koreans care about the western side? Lmao

Why do people keep trying to make this about America when it was a world war. Americans werent even the ones that were affected the most. 6 million european jews died, and about 5 million more non jews in europe at the hands of the nazis. You guys are justifying and advocating for ignorance, which in circumstances like these, is genuinely hurtful, with this "why should they care" shit instead of realizing that both sides are wrong and should educate themselves. Would it kill some of you to be the least bit empathetic??

I think everyone should know about the Nazis and their crimes, it's ridiculous to even suggest that anyone with a basic education wouldn't know. But it's also ridiculous to assume that everyone would recognise a nazi uniform upon sight, especially if it doesn't have the swastika (which I don't think this uniform does)

If this alleged café actually had information about what this mannequin represented then that's a different story, but if it didn't then posing next to this mannequin doesn't necessarily mean this girl is ignorant to world history and the Nazis, it only means she didn't know that that was a nazi soldier uniform.

Quote from selfmate

May I ask where are you from btw? as in background or ethnicity because the bolded part I found very interesting

I am not East Asian

Quote from sleeplessnights

I don't appreciate either, but you have to be careful to not turn it into whataboutism.

It’s not whataboutism. It’s mind your superiority complex cause you’re on the same boat-ism

Quote from raizcharms

I am not East Asian

It’s not whataboutism. It’s mind your superiority complex cause you’re on the same boat-ism

I'm Chinese and I agree with the bolded part so I thought I'd ask you where you were from...

its all good

tbh i thought it was just a simple manequin soldier and didnt even notice when i was scrolling. so its possible she didnt know when she took the picture.

im asian and i'm not familiar about the nazi symbol on the hat. sure we learned about it in world history class but we only got to know the summary of what happened (it was literally an hour lesson in highschool and nothing more). it wasnt in full detail but some people expect us to be aware of something we didnt even learn. i dont like how they are villainizing instead of educating when it could have been a genuine mistake.

Quote from Fsfsksf

Why do people keep trying to make this about America when it was a world war. Americans werent even the ones that were affected the most. 6 million european jews died, and about 5 million more non jews in europe at the hands of the nazis. You guys are justifying and advocating for ignorance, which in circumstances likes these, is genuinely hurtful, with this "why should they care" shit instead of realizing that both sides are wrong and should educate themselves. Would it kill some of you to be the least bit empathetic??

I’m not trying to make this about America. I simply used America as an example because that is where I live lmao

I don't think she knew the mannequin was in nazi uniform. There's no way she doesn't know about the existence of Nazi's but the uniform is not recognisable to a normal person. I'm glad she's released an apology tho.

This mannequin gives me flashbacks to "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". That uniform is depicted in probably every history textbook, WW2 movie and documentary so it's honestly hard to believe that someone who has access to books, school and the internet wouldn't recognize that uniform. (Asian here by the way. World history is a subject from primary school to college in our country so...)

I don't like how people view this as a west vs Asia thing, why can't you care about multiple ethical issues without downplaying one of them for sake of a gotcha argument. You can be against nazism, rising sun issues, Chinese human rights issues, Russia human rights issues, American wars in the Middle East, terrorism in the Middle East, and all the other horrible things that happen around the world at the same time. There isn't a quota on how many things you can be morally against or think is wrong, saying nazism is wrong doesn't equal saying rising sun or other human rights issues aren't just as wrong or important.

Quote from girlgroupstan21

4. [+71, -2]
But if the westerners are so sensitive about the Nazis, then why are they being so lenient towards the Rising Sun flag and Japanese Imperialism....? They f*cking look down on us when we criticize someone using the Rising Sun flag overseas and they treat us like we were being too fussy about it... It's funny know they don't know any basic history about the East while we have to know all the cultures of the West

on point.

she didnt know if was offensive so posted it. Later deleted it when she knew the issue with it.

Whatelse are ppl expecting for her.

Not everyone is supposed to know the history of every country in this world. I dont think most of the asian countries care about nazis simply cause we had other issues like freedom from colonisation and other stuff.

Quote from rjlover

I don't like how people view this as a west vs Asia thing, why can't you care about multiple ethical issues without downplaying one of them for sake of a gotcha argument. You can be against nazism, rising sun issues, Chinese human rights issues, Russia human rights issues, American wars in the Middle East, terrorism in the Middle East, and all the other horrible things that happen around the world at the same time. There isn't a quota on how many things you can be morally against or think is wrong, saying nazism is wrong doesn't equal saying rising sun or other human rights issues aren't just as wrong or important.

Ppl can be against to all the things you mentioned when they know about it. in this case most of them didn't know it was nazis and the issue with nazis.

Westerners SHOULD be educated on the rising sun flag among many things. But their ignorance is no excuse for your own, everyone can do better

Quote from raizcharms

Lmao I kept telling people they wouldn’t care. People keep going off about “ nazis were siding with Japan in WWll!!!” So? That doesn’t mean they know anything about them beyond that lmao. They clearly do not and have no reason to. I wouldn’t know Jack shit about nazi Germany if the American school system didn’t teach it more than slavery as if it happened in our country.

I have to say, Im Somali, and we were colonized by the Italians who sided with the Nazis just as long as Japan did, and most Somalis probably have heard of the Holocaust but would have no idea what a damn swatzika is. I mean in America we’ve never been taught about the Congoloese Genocide were 15 million Congolese were either murdered or cannabilized by a damn white king (Leopold of Belgium).

Not to mention these dumb westerners don’t even know that the soldier in Sowon’s photo isn’t actually a Nazi, he was just a generic soldier, the uniform of the SS (Nazi part of the german military) was ALWAYS different. Therefore, it isn’t automatically a Nazi replica. These westerners are literally talking out of their a-hole.

Especially those who claim to be from a former nazi country, like shouldn’t you know the difference between the general uniform and the nazi one? Members if the general german military even planned to assassinate him but were caught and executed. They also fought alongside the Americans in WW2, so it’s quite disappointing.

EDIT: yes i did make an account for this because as a history geek this was hard to watch.

Quote from Fsfsksf

Why do people keep trying to make this about America when it was a world war. Americans werent even the ones that were affected the most. 6 million european jews died, and about 5 million more non jews in europe at the hands of the nazis. You guys are justifying and advocating for ignorance, which in circumstances like these, is genuinely hurtful, with this "why should they care" shit instead of realizing that both sides are wrong and should educate themselves. Would it kill some of you to be the least bit empathetic??

They took "Ignorance is bliss" too seriously

Quote from chounim

I think everyone should know about the Nazis and their crimes, it's ridiculous to even suggest that anyone with a basic education wouldn't know. But it's also ridiculous to assume that everyone would recognise a nazi uniform upon sight, especially if it doesn't have the swastika (which I don't think this uniform does)

If this alleged café actually had information about what this mannequin represented then that's a different story, but if it didn't then posing next to this mannequin doesn't necessarily mean this girl is ignorant to world history and the Nazis, it only means she didn't know that that was a nazi soldier uniform.

the uniform has a small swastika on the hat. It's really hard to see tho.

Quote from samtanvan

I have to say, Im Somali, and we were colonized by the Italians who sided with the Nazis just as long as Japan did, and most Somalis probably have heard of the Holocaust but would have no idea what a damn swatzika is. I mean in America we’ve never been taught about the Congoloese Genocide were 15 million Congolese were either murdered or cannabilized by a damn white king (Leopold of Belgium).

Not to mention these dumb westerners don’t even know that the soldier in Sowon’s photo isn’t actually a Nazi, he was just a generic soldier, the uniform of the SS (Nazi part of the german military) was ALWAYS different. Therefore, it isn’t automatically a Nazi replica. These westerners are literally talking out of their a-hole.

Especially those who claim to be from a former nazi country, like shouldn’t you know the difference between the general uniform and the nazi one? Members if the general german military even planned to assassinate him but were caught and executed. They also fought alongside the Americans in WW2, so it’s quite disappointing.

EDIT: yes i did make an account for this because as a history geek this was hard to watch.

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This is just semantics, Wehrmacht soldiers are still directly associated with nazi imagery even if they weren’t ss themselves. And once again you can and should talk about other issues but do it in a separate conversation and not just in reaction to Holocaust

wow, people are being so aggressive towards the west, did you forget who died to defeat the axis? did korea defeat japan?

All these comments about, why Asian countries should know about western history lol...

Just imagine what would have happened if AXIS won WW2, it would obviously affect your country and in a bad way.

Quote from melma

This is just semantics, Wehrmacht soldiers are still directly associated with nazi imagery even if they weren’t ss themselves. And once again you can and should talk about other issues but do it in a separate conversation and not just in reaction to Holocaust

Yet again many weren’t, Wehrmacht≠Nazi. This issue is too severe to claim Wehrmecht were Nazis. Some of their members were and many weren’t.

3 [+124, -2]

Honestly, most of Koreans who don't know anything about world history would walk past that without knowing who that was. I think that as a public figure, she was careless and should receive fair criticism, apologize and if she doesn't act like this again, it should be fine. Let's stop here.. But I'm afraid that these losers will try to relieve their stress on her and curse her to death

Not calling for hate on Sowon, just want to point something out regarding knetz.

It's ironic how knetz are so nonchalant with this line of of thinking yet had no problem proactively trying to get Tiffany exiled, killed and raped for her scandal. Tiffany grew up in America and even from debut up until a few years later was maybe an intermediate level Korean speaker which people made fun of and had a noticeabley more American style personality, in all likelihood she like most raised in the west didn't know about rising rise, especially as she was in Japan at the time were it's more common/accepted. Compounded further as Snapchat itself had it as a default filter showing the company too knew nothing of it. All in all it was obviously a mistake because she didn't know and corrected herself immediately. Yet that didn't stop knetz going totally mental on her for not knowing

Now when it's another case of someone possibly not knowing about history anyone that gets offended is a labelled loser planning death threats (and looking through things like Twitter and Reddit doesn't seem she's get death threats, more the usual cancelling) .....Hmmm that's totally not how Koreans reacted with Tiffany right? The hypocrisy is laughable.