'Slant-Eye' Gesture by Miss Finland Sparks Apology in Korean from Finnish Prime Minister

[Financial News] The controversy over Miss Finland's racist gesture toward East Asians has escalated into the political arena, prompting the Prime Minister of the Republic of Finland to personally intervene. His approach was to issue a direct apology to the Republic of Korea (ROK), China, and Japan.
On the 17th (local time), Agence France-Presse (AFP) and other foreign media reported that Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo released an official statement of apology through the embassies of the Republic of Finland in the Republic of Korea, China, and Japan.
Prime Minister Orpo posted in Korean on the Embassy of Finland in the Republic of Korea's Instagram, stating, "I sincerely apologize for any discomfort caused by the social media posts of certain parliamentarians. These posts contradict the values of equality and inclusion held by the Republic of Finland."
He added, "Racism and all forms of discrimination can never be tolerated in Finnish society," and emphasized, "The government takes the seriousness of racial discrimination very seriously and is making every effort to eradicate it."
The incident began late last month when Miss Finland, Sarah Dzafce, posted a photo on social media pulling up the corners of her eyes with the caption 'Having dinner with Chinese people.' The gesture of slanting or pulling the eyes is widely recognized in the West as a racist insult toward East Asians.
As the controversy grew, Dzafce explained that she was 'rubbing her temples due to a headache,' but ultimately had her Miss Finland title revoked.

The issue did not end there. Some members of the Finns Party, a far-right party and part of the coalition government, posted photos mimicking Dzafce's gesture in support of her.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that following the incident, a Finnish TV production company had to suspend a joint project with Japan, and Finnair faced backlash in the Asian market.
The Finns Party is scheduled to hold a weekly meeting on the 18th to discuss possible disciplinary action against its members who posted racist content.
Juho Eerola, one of the politicians who posted the controversial content, expressed regret for his actions in the media, while Kaisa Garedew told local press she did not believe an apology was necessary.
Meanwhile, Korean netizens who saw the apology in Korean on Instagram have called for sincere action and follow-up measures from the Finnish government in their comments.
One netizen commented, "I hope to see real follow-up actions and measures that match the apology. Lawmakers who engaged in racist behavior should be appropriately punished."
Another netizen wrote, "I'm relieved there was an apology, but I hope more Finns become aware of the seriousness of the slant-eye gesture. Honestly, this incident left me very disappointed."
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter