The recent parody of NewJeans’ Hanni on SNL Korea has ignited a firestorm of reactions.
Netizens are split over SNL Korea’s parody of Hanni’s appearance at the National Assembly. While some fans express outrage at the sketch, others are taken aback by the intense backlash directed at actress Ji Ye Eun, who portrayed Hanni.
The 30-year-old actress parodied Hanni in an episode of SNL Korea Season 6, released on October 19. The sketch combined two separate events: Hanni’s Tokyo Dome fan meeting performance of “Blue Coral Reef” and her attendance at the National Assembly’s parliamentary audit on October 15.
In the audit, the 20-year-old addressed bullying and poor response issues within HYBE. Actor Kim Eui Sung played Hanwha Ocean’s president and took a selfie with Ji Ye Eun as Hanni.
After the SNL Korea skit, her Instagram was flooded with hate comments calling her “racist” and criticizing her for “mocking the victim.”
NewJeans fans, called Bunnies, are upset because SNL Korea made light of the pressing issue she discussed at the National Assembly.
After receiving thousands of hate comments, Ji Ye Eun has disabled her Instagram comment.
On the other hand, netizens criticize NewJeans fans for unfairly targeting actress Ji with hate. They opine that she was simply acting and SNL Korea’s purpose is to entertain through humor and comment on current events.