"I Stepped on It for Safety": Controversy Over 'Park Wi's CCTV' as Seen by a Railway Employee [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

YouTuber "Wi-racle" Park Wi sparked controversy after releasing CCTV footage of his wheelchair fall accident on KTX, later deleting the video and posting an apology on YouTube. However, despite Park Wi's apology, the controversy appears to be growing even larger.

On the 21st, Park Wi uploaded a video titled "Reason for Releasing CCTV Footage" to his YouTube channel "Wi-racle." In the video, he stated that he was injured while disembarking after using KTX for a lecture on the 14th. He explained that as he went down a ramp in his wheelchair, the wheel caught on an employee's foot, causing him to be thrown from the wheelchair and fall to the floor.

The CCTV footage released alongside the video captured the moment Park Wi fell from his wheelchair while going down the ramp. Recalling the incident, Park Wi explained, "Suddenly, I saw a foot right in front of me. My wheelchair got caught on that foot, and my body was thrown off and fell to the floor." He added, "Honestly, I was so angry. I was furious, lost my composure, and many thoughts raced through my mind, but I was already lying on the ground. It was a dizzying situation."

Park Wi also revealed that he was terrified because, with almost no sensation in his lower body, it would be difficult to determine if he was injured immediately after the accident. He said, "I've never fallen from such a height in 12 years. What's even more frightening is that I wouldn't know if I had a fracture or a crack because I have no sensation."

He further shared his honest feelings: "Although the employee did not intentionally do it, I was angry just because they placed their foot on the ramp." However, he asked people to refrain from criticizing specific individuals and explained that the CCTV footage was released with the intent of improving safety, as a single mistake could lead to a major accident.

After the video was released, some pointed out that it was witch-hunting and excessive for Park Wi to publicly release the CCTV footage even after the public service worker had apologized, seemingly targeting one person in anger.

In response, Park Wi deleted the CCTV footage and posted an apology statement: "I failed to consider the position of the employee who did their best to help me at the scene when the incident occurred and apologized politely." He continued, "I viewed only negatively a mistake that happened during the process of trying to help me better. My delivery method was immature, and my thinking was short-sighted. I apologize to everyone who worked hard at the scene." Park Wi also said, "I sincerely apologize to all viewers who watched the video. I will take your advice to heart and approach content creation with a mature attitude. Taking this incident as an opportunity, I will act more cautiously and responsibly in everything. Once again, I am truly sorry."

However, public anger continues even after that. Criticism has been raised regarding how Park Wi obtained the CCTV footage and why he posted a video that seemed to target an individual despite the accident being caused by a mistake after receiving help.

Amid this, on the 22nd, a post from a railway employee who identified themselves as an institutional investor appeared on Park Wi's YouTube channel, drawing attention.

The netizen wrote: "Although I am not in station operations, I am an institutional investor and thus a railway employee. Station staff or social service workers simply use the wheelchair lifts supplied at stations. There are various issues, but even so, we communicate via radio with institutional investors to minimize unnecessary movement for wheelchair passengers and ensure they board as comfortably and safely as possible. We carefully align the position of wheelchair passengers with the door location as much as possible. To prevent the lift from floating during boarding, we often hold it down with our feet while working."

They continued: "It is clear that this incident was an accidental occurrence while preventing the lift from floating, not intentional. If you want to blame someone, blame the unstable equipment or why are you attacking the person working hard at the scene? Social service workers, all of whom became social service workers due to illness or discomfort, work diligently without showing dissatisfaction. Moreover, due to the nature of railway stations, normal single-shift work is difficult, so railway social service workers rotate shifts day and night. Even while enduring such hardships, they are faithful to their duties. To criticize someone who is dedicated like that is wrong. We hope for a proper apology with appropriate formality, not this careless apology letter. Isn't that the attitude of an adult taking responsibility? Trying to brush things off makes one suspect that Park Wi's past behavior was insincere."

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*This content was translated by AI.