Controversy Over Whether the Devotee Who Angered the Pope Is Chinese or Korean... North Korean Agent Conspiracy Theory Also Raised

When a female believer grabbed his hand, the Pope grimaced
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Sung-yeol] Pope Francis (83) has drawn attention for his angry reaction toward a female devotee who held his hand from behind and refused to let go. Alongside this, there is significant interest in the nationality of this woman.

According to foreign media including AFP on the 1st (local time), on New Year's Eve 2020 at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, the Pope was greeting believers when a female devotee grabbed his right hand.

The woman pulled his hand so strongly that the Pope's body staggered, shouting loudly. The Pope, frowning as if his arm hurt, struck the back of the woman's hand twice with his left hand. Only after security guards restrained the woman was the Pope able to free himself.

During the Mass that day, Pope Francis said, "There are many moments when we lose patience. I am no exception," and apologized for the "bad example."

As the news and video became a worldwide issue on the internet, netizens around the world have been debating the nationality of the woman, who appears to be East Asian.

One overseas netizen claimed, close to a conspiracy theory, "That woman who looks Asian is not just rude but could be North Korean. Could she be trying to assassinate the Pope with poison on her hands, like how Kim Jong-un killed his brother?" Such opinions have gained reactions on Twitter and Facebook.

Related search terms when searching for POPE in the Twitter search bar / Photo by Twitter capture

Another netizen interpreted, "The attitude shown by Chinese people worldwide has been rude," and "The woman seems to be speaking Chinese. This is a warning to the Pope, who is friendly to Taiwan and Hong Kong." In fact, when searching for pope on Twitter, chinese woman appears as a related search term.

Korean netizens responded with comments like, "I don't think she is Korean, but this is really embarrassing," and "It's fortunate the Pope did not fall. I hope people understand that the Pope is human too."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.