YouTuber Park Wi stirs controversy as old video showing skepticism toward blind creator resurfaces

Amid mounting criticism over a video showing YouTuber Park Wi's fall while getting off a KTX train, an older clip of his interactions with a blind creator is drawing fresh scrutiny and stirring controversy.

A video from 2022 featuring Park Wi as a guest on the YouTube channel of blind creator Wonshat Hansol has recently recirculated across online communities and social media.

The clip was posted Nov. 8, 2022, on the Wonshat Hansol channel under the title "Is it really possible with paraplegia? I was embarrassed to ask, but I did."

The video shows Park Wi and Wonshat Hansol meeting at a campsite.

When Wonshat Hansol skillfully pushed Park Wi's wheelchair, Park Wi expressed doubt, saying, "How are you doing this when you can't see? I'm going to test you right here."

Park Wi then withheld directions, and Wonshat Hansol promptly headed down the wrong path — at which point Park Wi conceded, "Oh, you really can't see. OK."

Even after that, Park Wi continued to question Wonshat Hansol whenever he appeared capable, repeatedly saying, "Be honest. You can see everything, can't you."

After the two reached their tent, Wonshat Hansol lit a torch, grilled meat and cut it — prompting Park Wi to say, "I'll really give you credit. I'll admit you're not faking it. I'm suddenly getting angry."

Park Wi then challenged Wonshat Hansol to peel a shrimp. When Wonshat Hansol peeled it completely, Park Wi turned to the production crew in apparent disbelief and said, "He actually peeled the shrimp."

The old clip has resurfaced in the wake of a separate controversy over Park Wi's public criticism of a social service worker at a KTX station.

When it was first posted, the exchanges were largely seen as playful banter between the two. But as criticism of Park Wi has grown in recent weeks, viewers have begun to see the same scenes differently.

Many now say Park Wi's repeated questioning of Wonshat Hansol's disability — and his visible shock at watching him peel a shrimp — came across as rude.

Online commenters have reacted with remarks such as "Having a visual impairment doesn't mean you can't do anything," "The constant testing attitude is uncomfortable," "This is too rude," "It looks like a bully picking on someone," and "I felt uneasy the whole time I was watching."

Meanwhile, Park Wi drew criticism on Aug. 21 for publicly calling out a social service worker assigned to assist passengers.

In a video posted to YouTube, Park Wi said he had suffered a fall while getting off a KTX train on Monday and released closed-circuit television footage of the incident.

Park Wi said he posted the video to improve the travel environment for people with disabilities and prevent similar accidents. But the backlash has continued, with many pointing out that he had publicly criticized — through his large YouTube platform — a social service worker who had helped him at the scene and even apologized.

As the controversy spread, Park Wi deleted the video and issued an apology. Scheduled appearances at Seoul City Hall and the Gangnam Cultural Foundation — including a lecture and a talk concert — were subsequently canceled. His YouTube subscriber count, which had once exceeded 1 million, has since fallen to about 947,000.

yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com