The news is now most viewed news on Naver.
Comments are so vile, in the lines of:
"From cults to gays"
"This is why we should be against an anti-discrimination law, otherwise they'll say we're discriminating against them"
"Reveal the gay routes"
Conversation
Yes there are parallels to the Shincheonji case, and is the same point I was making in my NYT piece. Perhaps I should re-word the headline to:
"Being Gay Is One Thing, Having Coronavirus Is Quite Another"
Hiding your identity sound familiar?
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The homophobic "Christian" Kookmin Ilbo broke the news this morning (homophobic media are usually the quickest at LBGTQ news). They didn't even bother to hide the name of the club. The journalist is part of the "religious features" desk.
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While on the one hand I do think it's important for anyone to have visited the club to know which one it was, get tested if necessary and stay safe, the Kookmin Ilbo did not reveal the name for ensure people are safe. No. This was a deliberate attack against the gay community.
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If you don't know the true colours of the Kookmin Ilbo, it's very simple: they are a hateful, despicable publication in South Korea that makes it a daily point to hate on gay people.
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Meanwhile, South Korea's homophobic Kookmin Ilbo today:
"The ultimate goal of homosexuals is the destruction of the Church"
Major facepalm... I just can't...
news.v.daum.net/v/202004280003
news.v.daum.net/v/2020042800031
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On a daily basis, they will do whatever they can to spread their homophobia. For them, this "exclusive" on a gay club goer having COVID-19 was god-sent.
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According to one South Korean pastor, homosexuality = communism.
"Communism is not an ideology, but a religion... There are some who are just addicted to homosexuality, but for those advocating same-sex marriage lies communism, the strongest of the left-wing spectrum". twitter.com/koryodynasty/s…
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"Itaewon corona"(이태원 코로나) is the #1 most searched term on Naver now.
At #2 is the word "gay" (게이).
Well done to Korean media for propagating hate and prejudice against the LGBTQ community.
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"Gay" (게이) is now the top trending word on Naver for all the wrong reasons.
Kookmin Ilbo as well as many other media outlets ought to be ashamed of themselves today for contributing to the vilification of the LGBTQ community in an already suffocating homophobic environment.
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Thank you Korea Herald for not sensationalising the incident at hand, which is a very simple one: "A man confirmed to have COVID-19 was found to have visited clubs in Itaewon".
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Petition has been uploaded on Blue House presidential website condemning Kookmin Ilbo & other media for using the word "gay club" and propagating discrimination against sexual minorities, asks for arbitration, punishment & measures to prevent recurrence www1.president.go.kr/petitions/5886
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UPDATE: Kookmin Ilbo, the homophobic media who started this mess, has revised its original article, removed the words "gay club" from the headline and article body. No retraction, just discreetly edited as if no one would notice.
This is the state of South Korean media: you can say whatever the fuck you want, make an article go viral, spread to hundreds of other media. Once the damage and desired effect (and clicks) have been generated, you can just edit the article as if nothing was. Nothing to see here.
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Compare before and after: Kookmin Ilbo changed the word from "gay club" to "famous club". This isn't a simple error. This isn't a one-off. This is a common industry-wide practice in South Korean media.
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Update: authorities have named three clubs in Itaewon, which just so happen to be the three main gay clubs in Seoul (latter point not mentioned). Asking people to come forward if have symptoms etc.
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I don't disagree with naming these clubs. It's important for people who were there to know they might have been exposed to the virus. What I'm against is the emphasis by media that these are gay establishments, as if the two are connected.
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It's a tragedy though that due to the repressive homophobic society that is South Korean society, people might be terrified to come forward and admit they attended these places. For some, coming out is a matter of life and death. This is so sad.
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Being LGBTQ in South Korea can be fatal.
Under half of all under 18's of the LGBTQ community have tried to kill themselves.
Many are abandoned by their families.
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Earlier on, KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Joon-wook said "When reporting on confirmed coronavirus patients, I ask you to comply with the reporting rules that protect the personal information of the patients and their families and respect their privacy".
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Kudos to health authorities for reminding the media to stick to journalism ethics and repsect people's privacy. We all know what KCDC Deputy Director was talking about during today's briefing.
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Korean media being a little farcical last night & this morning. All those media who used "gay club" in their sensational stories yesterday have discreetly edited out the "gay" word from original reports, and now publishing stories about "concerns of being outed". Seriously?
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Take Money Today (top of this thread): click on the link and you'll notice the headline has discreetly changed. Then now the same media is (only now) discussing ethical implications about media using the word "gay club" as if they were not guilty of the very same behaviour.
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Media that all made a fuss that a confirmed patient visited a gay club are now acting all righteously and quoting journalism and human rights guidelines, all saying there are "concerns of outing" due to media's reporting yesterday. Yet they all did exactly that. So lame.
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This is really sad. A company employee of the person who tested positive for COVID-19 who went clubbing in Itaewon has also tested positive. Office building with 800 people has shut down. Assuming he's gay, now everyone knows.
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I admit that I've been using the "g" word even though now media media are retraining from using it. But it's completely out there now. There aren't many straight people who go to gay clubs in Korea. So my assumption is, he's been outed to his family, friends and company.
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In S. Korea, being gay can get you fired. It can get you disowned by your own family. And friends. Thanks for the irresponsibility of Korean media, there is clearly secondary damage going on here. Hundreds were at that club. I can't imagine what some might be going through now.
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To be honest I don't solely blame media. I also blame the South Korean government for making LGBTQ invisible and in practice, denying their existence. There is no anti-discrimination law in South Korea. Rampant homophobia is everywhere.
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South Korean politicians continue to want to delete the mere mention of LGBTQ from the only law that actually mentions the word.
So when you live in this environment, it's no wonder they Korean media don't even know what they are dealing with.
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BREAKING: 13 additional confirmed cases of coronavirus related to the person who went clubbing in Seoul's Itaewon, including 12 people who were at the club. Among those, 3 foreigners and 1 soldier.
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BREAKING: South Korean authorities say there is a high possibility of additional confirmed cases involving the Itaewon club.
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GUYS GO GET TESTED IF YOU WERE AT THE KING CLUB ON SATURDAY NIGHT IN ITAEWON AND HAVE SYMPTOMS OR ARE IN DOUBT. SPREAD THE WORD.
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Government is advising those who visited the KING, TRUNK and QUEEN club/bars to report to authorities.
Video via Arirang.
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The person in question came into contact with at least 1,510 people, government says.
It's really important that everyone who was on "Homo Hill" (especially King, Trunk, Queen) get tested if have symptoms.
I say the hill because everyone bar hops there.
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Emergency alerts are being broadcast to multiple areas in and around Seoul asking people who were at King, Trunk and Queen to come forward and get tested.
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"Itaewon" (이태원) has now become the top searched term on portal site Naver.
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Coming forward to get tested must be a tragic dilemma for many no doubt. This is an awful situation to be in, but if Shincheonji is an example to go by, medical staff have never been out there to stigmatise patients.
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The "Christians" were vehemently against Shincheonji. Now they are against gays (they always were). It's like a god-sent gift. Framing COVID-19 as the curse of the devil, must repent their sins. Lest we forget churches also had outbreaks.
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This is absolutely disgusting and disgraceful. Kookmin Ilbo, the homophobic media who started this mess, has now infiltrated into Korea's main gay forum site and now posting screenshots and content under the article headline "What do homosexuals think?"
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It is clear that Kookmin Ilbo is deliberately trying to present gays as sinners. Notice the wording 동성애자 (homosexual) and not the more neutral 게이 (gay). In South Korea, "homosexual" is a very heavily-loaded word often associated with people dying with HIV.
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Day after day, Kookmin Ilbo publishes hate articles against the LGBTQ community, saying it's a sin, communism, a dictatorship, the destruction of the Korean church & annihilation of Korea.
This is NO coincidence. These are NOT innocent articles. Surprised there's no arbitration.
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S. Korean health authorities are also asking those who visited clubs/entertainment facilities (in general) in Itaewon early morning on the 2nd, especially those with symptoms, to report to the KCDC (1339) and get screened as well.
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South Korean health authorities expect a surge in cases related to the outbreak in Seoul's Itaewon.
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Asking ALL people (regardless of club/bar) especially those with symptoms to get tested, is VERY WELL played by the KCDC: they are also making it easier for those who might have otherwise been reluctant to admit having been to certain clubs discussed above.
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