WEBTOON has canceled the English publication of the popular Get Schooled series due to its depiction of racially diverse characters.
According to ComicBook, WEBTOON announced it would no longer distribute Get Schooled after its latest chapters caused outrage among readers. The company also announced that the film will not return to the US and that the Korean version has been suspended indefinitely while officials conduct an internal review. “The content depicted in this episode is inconsistent with WEBTOON’s values and is in no way something we support,” WEBTOON said. “It should never have been published and we apologize to anyone who encountered it or the harm it caused to the incredible WEBTOON community.”
Released in 2020, Get Schooled is a popular Korean online webtoon written by author Yongtaek Chae and illustrated by artist Garam Han. This is a series set in YLAB’s “Blue String Universe”. Get Schooled’s latest chapter, Episode 125, is set in the middle of a rural Korean village, inhabited by a large number of non-Koreans. The chapter includes a controversial scene in which a student of Korean and Ethiopian descent taunts his Korean-American teacher with racial slurs. In response, the teacher also insulted the multiracial student with another derogatory term.
Make the creators who went to school apologize
Creators Yongtak Chae and Garam Han have since issued an apology for the depiction of people of color in Episode 125. They stated that they did not intend to offend any readers with their work and instead intended to show the discrimination that multicultural and immigrant families face within Korea. They believe these issues are quickly becoming widespread problems in their society and wanted to use Get Schooled as a way to highlight the challenges certain groups may face in everyday life .
“Get Schooled often begins its episodes in a way that depicts hatred, but ultimately, the story is intended to convey a message of stopping that hatred,” their message reads. “But there is no excuse for the imagery and language used in this episode. All we can do now is apologize and promise to do better. We will take time to learn more about past and present racism and the history of racism.” represent. We can and will do better.”
At the time of writing, it is unclear when Get Schooled will return after its hiatus or whether WEBTOON will revive the English translation of the series.
Source: Comics
