“The hate toward my mother hurt more” ‘Little PSY’ Hwang Min-woo opens up about prejudice

Singer Hwang Min-woo, who became a household name as 'Little PSY,' has opened up about the wounds hidden behind his glamorous debut. More difficult than the fame he gained at a young age was the discrimination and malicious comments directed not at himself, but at his mother, who is from Vietnam.

Hwang appeared on the MBN variety show 'Dongchimi' during its trot prodigy special, 'Is There an Age for Singing?', aired on August 1, where he confessed to the sudden stardom of his childhood and the pain that followed.

His first appearance before the public was in the music video for Psy's global hit 'Gangnam Style.'

Hwang recalled those days, saying, "The casting request came two or three days before the filming of the 'Gangnam Style' music video."

"Psy hyung told me, 'Try dancing wildly next to me.' At that time, I didn't even know who the singer Psy was or what a music video was."

However, the young child's free-spirited dancing became a global sensation. With his unique talent and sense of rhythm, he instantly earned the nickname 'Little PSY,' and Hwang found himself at the center of the entertainment industry at a very young age.

Yet, another unexpected reality arrived alongside it.

-“I could endure the insults directed at me... but it was too painful for my mother”

Hwang revealed that as his popularity grew, negative perceptions also increased.

“As time passed, negative views emerged, asking, 'How long are you going to keep milking the Little PSY image?'”

In particular, his identity was what made things difficult.

Hwang's mother is from Vietnam. At that time, Korean society lacked the understanding and inclusion for multicultural families that exists today, and prejudiced views toward one's background existed in online spaces.

Hwang confessed, “My mother is from Vietnam, and back then, the perception of multicultural families was not good.”

He then spoke of his most painful moment.

“A flood of malicious comments poured in. I could endure the criticism directed at me. But for my mother, there were malicious comments that were too terrible to even mention.”

It was an experience far too harsh for a young child to handle.

Hwang, who had to watch his family get hurt because of his choices, confessed that he even thought, "Did I choose the path of an entertainer for nothing?"

-The young star gained more than just popularity

One of the greatest difficulties child stars face during their growth is the gap between the image the public remembers and their actual personal changes.

Hwang also had to find his own path for a long time within the intense image of 'Little PSY.'

The sudden attention gained in childhood was an opportunity, but it was also a burden. While the public remembers a moment in time, the individual continues to grow and change.

He said, “Thanks to those trials, my mental strength has become much stronger.”

While the wounds have not completely disappeared, it means he learned the strength to protect himself through that time.

-“Attacks on difference are ultimately a problem of society”

Hwang's confession goes beyond a simple story of a celebrity being a victim of malicious comments; it makes one rethink the issue of multicultural perception in Korean society.

A person's background does not determine their ability or value. However, the reality where someone is attacked simply because they are a celebrity's family or because they are 'different' continues to repeat.

Particularly for Hwang, who stood before the public at a young age, the greatest wound was not the criticism toward himself, but the hatred directed toward his beloved family.

Philosopher Martin Buber said that humans should view each other in an 'I-Thou' relationship rather than an 'I-It' relationship. The moment one views another as an object or a framework of prejudice, humans easily choose violent language.

Hwang's story asks:

Are we evaluating someone's background, or are we looking at the person themselves?

The boy who stood on the global stage at a young age is now standing by his own name, moving beyond prejudice and wounds. The growth story of the individual named Hwang Min-woo, who was hidden behind the modifier 'Little PSY,' ultimately makes us reflect on the maturity of a society that accepts difference.