A Canadian sports specialty channel is facing backlash after introducing a video of the Korean martial art taekwondo as “ninja” training.
Ninjas are highly Japanese spies and assassins, but the word is often used more broadly in English as a colloquial expression for someone highly skilled in a specific area.
But Seo Kyoung-duk, a social activist and professor at Sungshin Women’s University, objected to the word’s Japanese origins.
He said on social media Tuesday that TSN, one of Canada’s biggest sports channels, recently posted a video of taekwondo training on its official social media with the title, “NINJA TRAINING?” He added that the video quickly spread, garnering about 170,000 likes.
Korean online users who saw the video left comments such as, “Taekwondo is a Korean martial art. Why are you using a Japanese expression?” and “A sports specialty channel doesn’t even know basic facts.” Many also reportedly sent requests asking TSN to revise the title.
A similar incident occurred last year during the Paris Olympics, when the International Olympic Committee introduced taekwondo on social media using a hashtag for judo, a Japanese martial art. The IOC later revised the post.
Seo said the latest incident stems from several factors, including low global awareness that taekwondo is Korean, and a lack of nuanced understanding of Asian martial arts.
“Instead of criticism and anger, it’s important to push for immediate correction through proper complaints,” he said.
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