A wave of satire on American late-night tv over President Lee Jae Myung’s reward of a duplicate Silla-era gold crown to U.S. President Donald Trump has provoked robust reactions in Korea, highlighting lingering sensitivities amid current strains within the alliance over tariffs and labor points.
The ornate duplicate crown, introduced in the course of the Korea-U.S. summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, rapidly attracted consideration from American comedy and discuss present hosts.
Desi Lydic, one of many hosts of “The Each day Present,” mentioned, “We’ve got been making an attempt actual onerous over right here to softly steer our president away from the entire king factor. And then you definately come alongside, hey President Trump, try this cool crown. Attempt it on. Take it residence with you. Not serving to!”
On ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Stay,” host Kimmel mentioned, “I suppose they noticed thousands and thousands of us marching to say ‘We didn’t desire a king!’ and thought, ‘Hey, nice concept for a present, a bejeweled crown.’ It’s so embarrassing how straightforward he’s to control. Perhaps he may simply keep there and be king of South Korea.”
President Donald Trump shakes fingers with President Lee Jae Myung as he receives a present of a gold crown and an award of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, not seen, throughout a excessive honor ceremony at Gyeongju Nationwide Museum in Gyeongju, South Korea, Wednesday. AP-Yonhap
These jokes, which had been clipped as shorts for social media, went viral in Korea over the weekend, sparking outrage and debate.
Whereas most Koreans expressed total satisfaction with the federal government’s dealing with of the large-scale prestigious occasion and diplomatic change, many expressed discomfort and indignation that the American satire missed the historic and cultural context of the reward, flooding the unique video to depart feedback and discussing points intensely on Korean on-line platforms.
“I do know it’s satire, however it’s not that humorous in any respect to Korean folks,” an internet person wrote. “We’re making an attempt to outlive after Trump kicked Koreans out of factories and slammed us with tariffs, but Individuals make jokes about bribing him with money. Would you snigger in the event you had been strolling on skinny ice each day due to these insurance policies?”
Many Koreans accused the American entertainers of misinterpreting the reward’s which means, clarifying that the crown was not a deliberate nod to monarchy — relatively, it was a logo chosen as a result of the summit occurred in Gyeongju, the place Silla relics are iconic.
The golden crown duplicate was commissioned from a grasp artisan a month earlier than the Gyeongju summit, countering the concept that it was a response to the current “No Kings” protests within the U.S.
The reactions had been coloured by current difficulties in Korea-U.S. relations underneath Trump’s presidency. Trump’s imposition of sweeping tariffs and a hardline stance on Korea’s labor presence within the U.S. have led to appreciable resentment.
“Koreans have overthrown their kings twice,” an internet person wrote on the YouTube video, possible referring to the impeachments of Park Geun-hye in 2017 and Yoon Suk Yeol earlier this yr, including, “Individuals have elected their kings twice.”
One other wrote, “We already confirmed you ways impeachment works. It’s not Korea’s job to repair the mess created by your votes.”
Tak Hyun-min, a former presidential protocol secretary, defined that the gold crown is each a logo of historic cultural change and a message of shared prosperity within the alliance, not an endorsement of royal energy.
“The Silla crown represents central values of openness and worldwide change,” Tak mentioned on a neighborhood radio present, referring to the dominion’s thousand-year longevity primarily based on strategic alliances and cultural creativity.
