'Fireworks', 'Bultaoreune' Ulsan Fire Victims Mocked... Why?

Excessive Criticism... Disaster Victims Say "Feels Like Casting a Curse"
Experts: "Lack of Empathy for Others' Pain... A Reflection of an Unstable Society"

A mocking note found in a room at Stars Hotel in Nam-gu, where victims of the Ulsan fire are temporarily staying. Photo by Facebook capture.

[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kang Joo-hee] On the 8th, a large fire broke out at a 33-story residential-commercial complex apartment located in Nam-gu, Ulsan City, and a note mocking the disaster victims was found, sparking controversy.

The memo contained BTS's song 'Fire,' among others, leading to criticism that it was an insult implying that those who barely escaped death in the fire should have just died.

Most of the other memo contents were also related to 'fire,' and there are criticisms that it mocks not only the disaster victims but also the firefighters risking their lives in rescue operations. Experts expressed concern that this phenomenon shows a lack of empathy for others' suffering and reflects a serious social problem revealing an unstable aspect of society.

On the 12th, a hotel memo mocking the disaster victims was found in a room at Stars Business Hotel in Nam-gu, where the victims were temporarily staying.

A, who identified themselves as one of the residents of the fire-affected apartment, posted on Facebook on the 14th, sharing a photo of the memo along with a message stating, "I found a malicious message that crossed the line."

The memo titled "Playlist for Disaster Victims" listed seven songs related to fire, including Oh My Girl's 'Fireworks,' Taeyeon's 'Spark,' BTS's 'Fire,' and BLACKPINK's 'Playing with Fire.'

A said, "It feels like malicious intent beyond limits that such a list was written targeting us who were rescued from the fire," adding, "Most residents are struggling with aftereffects and sleeplessness, and are hurt by various posts and comments."

A continued, "In such circumstances, this kind of message feels like a curse directed at us, and it's scary that someone wrote this in the hotel," adding, "There is no direct harm, so reporting is impossible. Please do not set fire to the hearts of those who survived the fire."

Interior of the mixed-use residential and commercial apartment in Nam-gu, Ulsan City, where a fire occurred on the 8th./Photo by Yonhap News

The disaster victims had previously suffered from malicious comments and criticism from some netizens because the city provided 'hotel accommodation and meals.'

Critics argued, "Why provide hotel support when it's not a natural disaster or an act of God?", "They probably have insurance, so it's a waste of tax money to support disaster victims," "They are treated differently from other disaster victims," and "Hotel support is unfair and a special privilege."

On the 10th, petitions demanding the withdrawal of hotel support, such as "Ulsan mayor should withdraw hotel accommodation support funded by taxes" and "Protect Ulsan City's taxes," were posted on the Blue House's public petition board.

As the debate over hotel support spread, Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho explained in a briefing related to the fire, "This fire disaster overlapped with the disaster situation requiring prevention of COVID-19, and providing group living spaces like gymnasiums raises concerns about the spread of infectious diseases," clarifying the reason for the support. The city also issued a statement emphasizing that it took lawful measures according to the 'Disaster Relief Fund Guidelines for Disaster Victims' prepared by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

However, criticism toward the disaster victims has not ceased. Some netizens raised baseless suspicions such as, "How high-ranking must some victims be to receive hotel support?" and "Would they have received hotel support if they weren't residents of luxury apartments?" Others made insulting remarks like, "Isn't there a school gymnasium in that neighborhood?" and "If you received hotel support, be grateful and stop whining."

As criticism against the disaster victims continued, voices of concern emerged among citizens, saying it has "crossed the line." One netizen lamented, "What kind of behavior is this toward people who lost their homes in the fire? It's really too much," adding, "I hope the person who left that memo is punished. How did our society come to this state?"

Experts expressed concern that the lack of empathy for others' suffering reflects an unstable aspect of society and is a serious social problem.

Professor Kwak Geum-ju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology said, "Not only in this case but in current Korean society, when an issue arises, many people excessively focus on it and engage in witch hunts and group attacks if there is something to criticize," adding, "People relieve stress and gain satisfaction by hiding behind the anonymity of the internet to slander others. This can also be seen as an expression of dissatisfaction, resentment, and relative deprivation related to recent issues like real estate."

Professor Kwak continued, "The inability to empathize with the pain of victims and the indiscriminate criticism without rational judgment show an unstable aspect of society," warning, "The growing lack of trust in society and others is a serious problem."

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