The 2024 Miss Korea pageant has found itself at the center of controversy following a question posed to the contestants that has sparked outrage among Korean netizens.
During the pageant, participants were asked, "If I'm more attractive in a deepfake video, how can I bridge the gap between that and the real me?" This unsettling question has led to a wave of criticism from viewers, who have taken to social media to express their disapproval.
Netizens have flocked to the official Miss Korea Instagram to leave comments inquiring about the inappropriate question as they commented, "In the midst of deepfake incidents becoming a major issue, you thought it was okay to ask as the final question, 'If I look more attractive in a deepfake than in real life?' Did you really think that was appropriate? Have you not considered the female students and celebrities who are suffering because of deepfakes?... Who is the person responsible for creating that question, and who is in charge of deleting comments? Are you going to delete my comment again?"
Just as the netizen has pointed out the official Miss Korea Instagram account has been deleting any comments regarding the issue and any critical comments.
A Korean netizen provided an update that Miss Korea has now disabled comments altogether, urging for greater public awareness to highlight the issue and bring more attention to the controversy.
Korean netizens commented:
"Are they out of their minds? Who’s the organizer?"
"I checked earlier, and the critical comments were disappearing in real-time, LOL..."
"Their response is so outdated, LOL. Go ahead and keep deleting; the screenshots are already spreading overseas, and they’ll be ridiculed."
"What kind of nonsense is this, seriously?"
"The creator must’ve really enjoyed deepfakes."
"I just checked, and now only two comments are visible, LOL. This is so ridiculous."
"Just cancel this program altogether. They should make deepfake videos of the creators and those who asked the questions and spread them overseas."
"Are they crazy??"
"Wow;;; they’re really insane. Beauty pageants are already outdated and irrelevant, and now the organizers have a criminal mindset, too."
"This is seriously insane and makes me sick."
"The existence of this pageant itself is already outdated, and they don’t even care to read the room...."