On the 17th (local time), according to Reuters and other outlets, Prime Minister Orpo issued a statement through embassies in various countries, saying, “We sincerely apologize for the discomfort caused by the inappropriate social media posts of some members of parliament.”
In particular, the Finnish Embassy in Seoul released an apology in Korean, stating, “The posts in question go against Finland’s core values of equality and inclusiveness,” and bowed its head.
This incident began last month when Miss Finland, Sara Jafce (22), uploaded a photo on social media making a “slanted eyes” gesture that disparages Asians. Jafce explained that it was “an unconscious act due to a headache,” but the Miss Finland organizing committee revoked her title on the 11th, saying she had “failed to fulfill her responsibilities as a national representative.”
The problem escalated when some in Finland’s political circles defended her, fueling the racism controversy. Lawmakers from the far-right Finns Party claimed it was “just taken for fun,” changed their own social media profile pictures to the slanted-eyes gesture, and criticized the committee’s decision.
Such behavior triggered protests from Asian embassies, and tangible damage followed, including the suspension of a joint project between a Finnish production company and Japan. In response, Prime Minister Orpo stressed, “Racism is an act that can never be tolerated,” and emphasized that, together with leaders of the government’s negotiating groups, he strongly condemns the insulting actions of certain lawmakers while working to resolve the situation.
— Reporter Oh Gui-hwan (ogi@chosunbiz.com)
“Gaining satisfaction by belittling other people or races is merely proof that one has nothing else to show for themselves, or that they wish to be identified with those who demean others based on race. It saddens me to see that more and more people are losing their dignity as time goes on.”