36-year-old Korean actor Choi Woo-shik has gained global recognition for his roles in international blockbusters such as “Train to Busan” and “Parasite.” Recently, he was invited to attend Paris Fashion Week in France, but unexpectedly found himself embroiled in a public controversy over alleged racism.
The incident originated from a complaint video posted online by a Black woman. She claimed that at the fashion show, she held up a sign and banner to cheer for her favorite actor. However, when the male star walked over to the crowd to sign autographs, he stopped right in front of her, signed everyone else’s posters, and completely ignored her alone. The woman, visibly emotional, said: "My hands are still shaking; it was dead quiet around me at that moment, and the awkwardness was extreme. I suddenly realized I was the only Black person there." She emphasized that she does not make accusations lightly, but the deliberate "differential treatment" of being singled out made her feel deeply humiliated, and she suspected she was being excluded due to her skin color.
Although the netizen in the video blurred the actor’s face, savvy internet users quickly identified the actor as Choi Woo-shik by matching the outfit and schedule from that day, sparking an intense and polarized debate online. Some netizens expressed sympathy for the woman’s experience; however, a large number of Choi Woo-shik’s fans swiftly released video footage from other angles to refute the claims. The footage showed that the fashion show scene was in total chaos, and Choi Woo-shik was “randomly” taking posters to sign while surrounded by security, with no evidence of deliberately selecting or skipping anyone; additional videos even confirmed that Choi Woo-shik had friendly interactions and signed autographs with Black fans in other areas of the event that day.