The seemingly harmless enterprise choice was met with criticism.
Koreaboo
Because the haunting recollections of the Itaewon tragedy loom giant over Seoul, an area bakery within the Gyeonggi area finds itself within the crosshairs of public sentiment. The bakery, operated by a 33-year-old man, confronted surprising backlash for promoting pumpkin-shaped cookies.
The Itaewon tragedy, which claimed 159 lives a yr in the past, has forged a somber shadow over this yr’s Halloween celebrations. As households and pals mourn their family members, there was a powerful public sentiment urging a extra subdued, “quiet Halloween.” This sentiment has been particularly prevalent in varied on-line boards, notably amongst housewives sharing parenting and native information on platforms like KakaoTalk open chat rooms, in makes an attempt to bolster the sentiment.
The bakery in query — a small institution catering primarily to youngsters — determined to make cookies formed like pumpkins and ghosts, symbols generally related to Halloween. Nonetheless, this seemingly harmless enterprise choice was met with criticism. Screenshots of chats critiquing the sale of such cookies started circulating on-line. The principle theme of the criticism was the inappropriateness of promoting Halloween merchandise within the current environment, given the tragic occasion.
The bakery proprietor expressed his misery over the state of affairs, stating that he was deeply harm by the criticisms. The backlash led him to compulsively search varied on-line boards and chat rooms to see if there have been any additional mentions of his retailer.
The criticism confronted by the Seoul bakery displays a broader societal pattern in South Korea. Many retailers, each large and small, are treading fastidiously round Halloween this yr. Main companies and theme parks that sometimes have a good time Halloween with large festivals are additionally selecting to downplay the event. The reason being clear: the general public’s sentiment is delicate, and firms are cautious of showing insensitive or capitalizing on such occasions within the wake of a nationwide tragedy.
Shops and companies which have historically relied on Halloween for a gross sales increase are actually below strain. As an illustration, main shops like Daiso and Artbox, which displayed Halloween-themed merchandise, confronted related public criticism.
This yr’s subdued strategy to Halloween isn’t restricted to retailers. Academic establishments, together with kindergartens and language colleges in Seoul, have both canceled their Halloween events or rebranded them to keep away from direct affiliation with the pageant.
Within the face of such deep nationwide grief, the general public’s sentiment in the direction of a subdued Halloween is totally comprehensible. Whereas traditions and celebrations are important features of societal tradition, there are moments in historical past that demand reflection and respect. This yr, as Seoul remembers the Itaewon victims, it’s important to prioritize empathy and understanding.
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