Jeonbuk Province Faces Backlash for Using 'Wang-ui DNA' in Elementary Quiz Contest Promotion

Deleted 3 Hours and 30 Minutes After Controversy Arises

The phrase "Wang-ui DNA" (King's DNA), which sparked controversy after being included in a complaint email sent by a Ministry of Education official to an elementary school teacher, appeared in a promotional post for an event hosted by Jeollabuk-do. Facing strong criticism, Jeollabuk-do deleted the post.

On the morning of the 17th, Jeollabuk-do posted a promotional post on its official Facebook page for the "2023 On&Off Baekje Quiz King Competition." This is a Baekje-related history quiz survival contest aimed at elementary school students. It will be held from September to October at Baekje Historic Areas, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, including Gongju’s Muryeong Royal Tomb and Royal Tombs, Iksan Mireuksaji, and Buyeo Jeongnimsaji.

[Photo by Jeollabuk-do Official Facebook]

In promoting this competition, Jeollabuk-do quoted the phrase "Wang-ui DNA," saying, "Do you think your child has the king's DNA? How about becoming the Quiz King?"

This is a reference to the phrase "Wang-ui DNA," which was used in a recent email sent by a Ministry of Education official to an elementary school teacher regarding their child.

As netizens pointed out that "using a phrase originating from an incident involving a victim as an internet meme" was inappropriate, Jeollabuk-do deleted the post after 3 hours and 30 minutes.

This is not the first time a promotional material created by Jeollabuk-do has caused controversy. In February, a promotional video for the Asia-Pacific Masters, produced with a budget of 13 million won, was criticized for lacking gender sensitivity.

The video’s storyline involved a man participating in a competition to win the heart of a woman he fell for at first sight during a blind date. The man’s age was listed as 40, and the woman’s age as 30. Additionally, the man was labeled as "motae solo" (never dated) under his name.

There was also a scene at the end of the video where the main character and the blind date woman kissed. Subtitles containing a sexual message described as "19+ suggestive" appeared as well.

In the same month, Jeollabuk-do faced controversy for prominently featuring an 11-year-old girl performing pole dance in a promotional video for the night view of Maisan in Jinan-gun.

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