"Bring a Spoon Instead of a Passport" for a Trip to Jeolla Province... H Home Shopping Sparks Controversy Over Use of Regional Slur

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\r\n[Financial News] A controversy is growing after a home shopping channel used a regional slur that is circulated in some online communities.
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\r\nOn the 26th, JTBC's "Incident Chief" reported that promotional copy posted by H Home Shopping on its official YouTube channel and social networking service (SNS) accounts, including Instagram, had sparked accusations of regional disparagement.
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\r\nRecently, H Home Shopping's official YouTube channel uploaded video content introducing major travel destinations in the Chungcheong region, Jeolla Province, the Gyeongsang region and Gangwon State.
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\r\nWhile introducing travel spots in Gwangju Metropolitan City and the Damyang County area of Jeolla Province, the producer inserted the subtitle, "Don't forget your passport, bring a spoon instead." The caption for an Instagram post titled "A Four-Meal Trip to Jeolla Province, Just Follow Me" also read, "When you travel to Jeolla Province, bring a spoon instead of a passport."
The phrase is known to have been used by some far-right online communities, including Ilbe Storehouse, to disparage the Honam region. Analysts say it mocks Jeolla Province by likening it to a separate country rather than part of South Korea.
A similar case occurred in 2020, when SBS Sports baseball commentator Ahn Gyeong-hyeon caused an uproar by saying, "I always have a passport in my bag. I'm going to Gwangju." At the time, he bowed his head in apology, saying, "I did not realize the word 'passport' could carry a regional slur. I sincerely apologize for causing discomfort with an inappropriate joke."
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\r\nMeanwhile, H Home Shopping told "Incident Chief" that the phrase was borrowed from a promotional post on the official blog of the South Jeolla Provincial Office titled "Exotic Travel Destinations in South Jeolla." It added that the content was intended to encourage domestic travel instead of overseas trips amid rising fuel surcharges, and that the word "passport" was used naturally in that context.
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\r\nH Home Shopping emphasized that the staff had no idea the phrase was used as a regional slur.
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\r\nAll of the videos previously posted on SNS have now been deleted.
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hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter