[Captured from YouTube channel 'Sokchonaessi']
[Captured from YouTube channel 'Sokchonaessi']

A fear-based disciplinary program for children at the Korean Folk Village has sparked a child abuse controversy, prompting authorities to plan an on-site inspection.

Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, plans to visit the Korean Folk Village this month alongside child welfare experts and police to examine how the program is run and assess its safety management, according to the JoongAng Ilbo on Sunday.

Informally dubbed the "Dark Oh Eun-young Service" — a reference to a well-known child psychologist — the program lets parents submit concerns about their child's habits, such as picky eating or excessive TV watching, after which an actor in ghost costume scolds and lectures the child.

Videos posted on SNS show an actor in ghost makeup telling a child, "So you don't listen to your mother?" The clips had racked up 8 million views as of Sunday.

Some members of the public have raised concerns that deliberately frightening a child could constitute emotional abuse. About 10 complaints have been filed with Yongin city, and a petition has also been submitted to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. The city is working to identify one preschool-age child who participated in the program and is reviewing the facts of the case.

However, the relevant authorities say it is difficult to conclude that the program constitutes child abuse. The program operates only with parental consent, and there is little legal precedent for classifying fear-based discipline as child abuse.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare is also monitoring the situation while taking a cautious approach to any legal response. The ministry has expressed concern that ruling the activity as child abuse could have implications for similar attractions, such as haunted houses at amusement parks.

The Korean Folk Village said it proceeds with the program only after obtaining guardian consent and applies its own operational guidelines that require an immediate stop if a child shows signs of distress.

The program launched in September for the Halloween season and is scheduled to end Nov. 15.


husn7@heraldcorp.com