‘Penthouse 3’ Addresses Cultural Appropriation Allegation by Changing the Appearance of Park Eun Seok’s Character
"Penthouse 3" announced that they will be making adjustments on Park Eun Seok's character after being criticized for racism and cultural appropriation.
In the second episode, the 37-year-old actor appeared with a different role and played Logan Lee's twin brother, Alex.
In "Penthouse 3" episode 2, the new character dons golden teeth grills, long dreadlocks, and face tattoos. Not only that, Alex Lee sports an African-American accent that sparked criticism from viewers.
"Penthouse 3" to Change Alex Lee's Hairstyle
One month after the controversy, the production team addressed the issue and made changes towards the new character.
According to SpoTV News, the team has decided to alter the appearance of Alex Lee, played by the 37-year-old actor, by modifying his hairstyle.
READ MORE: SBS Responds to the Possibility of Extending 'Penthouse 3' to 14 Episodes
Viewers Criticized Park Eun Seok's Character
"Penthouse 3" episode 2 created a stir of controversy after being blasted for racism issues.
Several fans took to social media and accused the top rating K-drama of cultural appropriation and mocking other cultures.
The issue got so intense that #AlexLee and #ParkEunSeok became a trending topic on Twitter.
In addition, several netizens also demanded SBS to take down the post, pointing out that this is disrespecting the African-American community.
Park Eun Seok Expressed Apology Over "Penthouse 3" Character
Amid the racism issues, Park Eun Seok took to social media and issued a formal apology.
On his official TikTok account, the 37-year-old actor immediately expressed his apology and explained that his character did not mean to "harm, mock, disrespect or discourage the African-American community."
"It was more admiration of the culture than mockery, but now I'm aware that the approach was more CA [cultural appropriation]," adding that the move "was a wrong attempt for character development."
Moreover, the post also cited that he "should have known better," given that he is also a minority.
Park Eun Seok concluded his statement by thanking his fans for giving him an "opportunity to grow in awareness."
In addition, he also asked fans "to give the benefit of the doubt" explaining that he "admired the culture and wanted to 'be' like, not intentionally portraying mockery."
"Penthouse 3" Team Reacts to Racism Issue
With this, fans and viewers lauded the actor's sincerity after his character was involved in a controversy; however, several netizens pointed out that the actor should not be the one to apologize but the production team or the network.
Shortly after Park Eun Seok's apology on TikTok, a representative from "Penthouse 3: War in Life" cleared the issue and mentioned that they did not intend "to caricature a specific race or culture."
"Penthouse 3" Highlights
Now that the K-drama has almost reached the half of the final season, shocking revelations and surprising twists and turns have come to light.
This includes the death of Oh Yoon Hee (Eugene,) Joo Seok Kyung's (Han Ji Hyun) birth mother is Shin Su Ryeon, and lastly, Logan Lee surviving the car explosion.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Airing of 'Penthouse 3' Episode 8 Cancelled to Give Way to Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony
KDramastars owns this article.
Written by Geca Wills
