"Nostalgia vs. Outdated Attitudes: Unexpected 'Michael' Controversy Erupts at Ramen Festival with 350,000 Visitors"

Permed Wig and Blackface Spark Allegations of Racism
"Native Korean Character" vs. "Blackface" Debate Erupts

An online controversy over "racial discrimination" has erupted in online communities regarding the promotional video for the "2025 Gumi Ramen Festival," which attracted as many as 350,000 visitors over three days. On November 10, a post titled "Current Status of the Gumi Ramen Festival" was uploaded to an online community. The post included screenshots from the festival’s promotional video and content about the character Michael.

Mycol in the promotional video for the "2025 Gumi Ramen Festival" uploaded on the official YouTube channel of Gumi City, Gyeongbuk, on the 30th of last month. YouTube channel "Gumi City"

The video in question is titled "2025 Gumi Ramen Festival Special Stage - Ramen and Guoryong," and was released on the official YouTube channel of Gumi City on October 30. It features a parody of the song "Ramen and Briquettes" by the band "Nuclear Bomb and Guided Missiles," formed by Michael, Dooly, and Douner-characters from the animation "Baby Dinosaur Dooly." In the video, the actor playing Michael wears a black curly wig and paints his face and lips black to imitate the character. Additionally, a white circle is drawn around the mouth.

While the video was intended to evoke nostalgia for "Baby Dinosaur Dooly," it drew criticism on international social media and online communities for "blackface," a practice where non-Black actors paint their faces black to impersonate Black people. The controversy intensified after a user shared screenshots of the video on Reddit, the world's largest online community, the previous day. Comments on the post included, "Does Korea still do blackface?" and "This video was even uploaded to an official city YouTube channel."

In response, some domestic users explained the character Michael from "Baby Dinosaur Dooly," commenting that "this is not makeup to imitate Black people, but rather an attempt to portray a beloved Korean animation character." However, some Korean users also criticized the video as "lacking in sensitivity." On the Gumi City YouTube channel, comments included, "Regardless of how this character is perceived in Korea, blackface is globally taboo," and "Foreigners unfamiliar with Michael will find this offensive."

Controversy Continues Over the 'Native' Korean Character Michael

In the animation "Baby Dinosaur Dooly," the character Michael is an aspiring singer who lives next door to Go Gil-dong. Due to his dark skin, curly hair, and thick lips, he is often mistaken for a foreigner or of mixed race. However, Michael is a Korean character with the surname Ma, and "Michael" is his stage name; his real name is known to be "Lee Gol." His dream is to become a pop star like Michael Jackson and perform in Las Vegas, and elements of his character are inspired by Michael Jackson throughout the series.

Character Michael from 'Baby Dinosaur Dooly'. Baby Dinosaur Dooly

Despite this background, controversies surrounding the character Michael have persisted. In 2019, mixed-race model Han Hyunmin played Michael in a No Brand Burger advertisement, which sparked claims of racism, with critics arguing that a caricatured Black character was assigned to a mixed-race actor. In an interview, Han Hyunmin responded, "I've often been told I resemble Michael since I was young," and stated that he took on the role positively. Meanwhile, the Gumi Ramen Festival, held across Gumi from November 7 to 9, attracted 350,000 visitors over three days. The festival's signature "freshly fried ramen" sold 480,000 servings, and ramen dishes presented by chefs sold approximately 54,000 bowls, generating total sales of 1 billion won.