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| Sam Okyere / Photo=DB |
[Sports Today reporter Kim Tae-hyung] Sam Okyere, the Ghanaian TV personality who vanished from South Korean screens after the \”Coffin Boys\” controversy, spoke candidly in his first media interview in roughly five years.
Once a fixture on Korean variety shows — including JTBC’s \”Non-Summit\” and MBC Every1’s \”Korean Foreigners\” — Sam drew scrutiny in 2020 after criticizing a Uijeongbu High School graduation photo in which students donned blackface and mimicked the \”Coffin Boys.\” He was accused of overreacting, and additional allegations — including past anti-Asian gestures and agreeing with sexually inappropriate comments — compounded the fallout. He has been largely absent from broadcasting for more than five years.
On the 24th, in an interview with Yonhap News, Sam said, \”The students didn’t act with malicious intent; they were copying something for laughs. I’m truly sorry. If I had given that context more thought, I would have approached it differently.\”
He added, \”I regret not responding more humbly at the time. It might have been far better to say, ‘I was short‑sighted here and I’m very sorry. I’ll reflect on this.’\”
Effectively pushed out of broadcast circles and still unable to reclaim his previous standing, Sam reflected on his career: \”I started appearing on television in the early 2010s, and by 2020 I was planning to step things up. It’s painful to feel like I missed my peak years in the industry.\”
He said the fear of negative reactions kept him from pursuing opportunities: \”I was so afraid that anything I did would be received badly. That anxiety made me pass up many chances, and time just slipped away.\”
He was careful to note he did not permanently leave Korea after disappearing from TV: \”Aside from trips to Ghana to visit family, I’ve stayed in Korea. I believe coming to Korea was fate.\”
Sam acknowledged financial hardship following his exit from television. To cover living expenses, he worked as an interpreter at the immigration office and at events for the Ghanaian embassy in Korea. He also traveled to Ghana with Korean companies exploring African markets to provide interpretation and support meetings. During Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama’s recent visit to Seoul, Sam served as host for a Ghana National Day event in the city.
On returning to broadcasting, he said, \”I love being on air, but under the current circumstances it’s not easy.\” Rather than waiting for networks to reach out, Sam plans to pursue projects he can produce independently. \”I haven’t fully leveraged platforms like YouTube or TikTok,\” he said. \”I’d like to create podcasts about Korean and Ghanaian cuisine and tell stories about Korea’s development.\”
He added, \”Now that I’m familiar with both Korea and Ghana, I hope to play a bridging role between the two.\”
Public reaction online, however, remains chilly. After the interview was published, some commenters accused him of regretting only the loss of television income, criticized perceived inconsistencies in his apologies, and noted that other foreign personalities, such as Jonathan, are doing well in the space.
[Sports Today reporter Kim Tae-hyung ent@stoo.com]
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