Actress says Africa was a shock

[dipropylene]

Actress Shin Eun-kyung revealed that touring Africa was no bed of roses at a press conference on Thursday for SBS's new charity-based program "Hope TV."

"It was such a shock being there. It's about 100 times worse than what you see on TV. I feel bad for saying this, but I really hated being there as you feel like you really can't do much to alleviate their suffering," said Shin.

During her three-day visit, the actress said she felt as if three years had passed and she spent most of her time crying in despair.

"During those times, I thought a lot about myself, about my life, and it really made me want to seek God."

The 30-year-old said visiting Burundi made her realize just how grateful she should be for her life back home.

The TV personality also asked the public to continue its support for those living in poverty-stricken areas.

The new SBS show, which airs for the first time on May 4, will sponsor and report on developments in Africa and other third-world nations.

By Carla Sunwoo


source: JoongAng Daily

Comments

[mamchan.livejournal.com]

"It was such a shock being there. It's about 100 times worse than what you see on TV. I feel bad for saying this, but I really hated being there as you feel like you really can't do much to alleviate their suffering,"

Yes of course Africa is a country that she can be toured in 3 days so of course she must knoe what she is talking about urg

It's a continent you ignorant girl/people. If you are going to be given a tour of the most poor places in Burundi to raise money you should shut your mouth about the rest of the continent you didn't visit gawd!!

[huile7.livejournal.com]

A+

[allthingsgood.livejournal.com]

on the one hand, these things bring more coverage to places that usually go ignored in the press, but for the most part, it's always such a shitfest to read these celebrities thoughts and "reflections" on the boohoo plight of under-developed countries after a freaking 3 day visit and i wish all of them would kindly shut up :|

[taecish.livejournal.com]

this article irks me tbh

[nemo-011.livejournal.com]

I went down to Hackney in London once

[sers-sers.livejournal.com]

lol

[sers-sers.livejournal.com]

The 30-year-old said visiting Burundi made her realize just how grateful she should be for her life back home.

JFC I never like comments like this.
It is never always about you okay.

[neumi.livejournal.com]

You would absolutely HATE my mom then. She always said, "finish your food because there are kids in third world countries starving." I guess that's just selfish too, to be aware of the privileges you have and to be thankful for them, and to not take anything for granted, and to not waste resources. All about her.

[fizzzzzzzzzzz.livejournal.com]

This pisses me off. First off, Im pretty sure she didnt tour all of Africa. Second, while there may be a lot of poverty, many African countries have growing economies that have expanded at a far greater rate as compared to most developed countries.

Africa is a diverse continent and Shin Eun-Kyung would do well to recognize that.

[angela-derp-otp.livejournal.com]

THIS tbh. Many African countries in the last 13 years have expanded their industries and their economic growth has been unprecedented. The types of comments she made are doing more harm than good.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Actress Shin Eun-kyung revealed that touring Africa was no bed of roses

What is this even? She toured all of Africa did she? Africa is very big, you don't use some random example to make blanket statements about Africa.

[neumi.livejournal.com]

I agree. Carla Sunwoo should readdress this.

[rinn1e.livejournal.com]

Someone bring her to South Africa.

[kazu-kumaguro.livejournal.com]

tbh I don't know how it is suppose to be like.

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

She toured Africa in 3 days... that's fast
One can't even tour one freaking city in 3 days

[neumi.livejournal.com]

The article stated she went to Burundi to film an SBS show. Missing the part where it said SBS paid for an entire film crew to tour the entire continent of Africa....

[vag-breath.livejournal.com]

oh.

[jia-zhang.livejournal.com]

(http://tinypic.com?ref=256fr5l)

I don't like the latent racism in all of this. I don't like the insinuation that Africa is somehow unlivable and unbearable. Plenty of people live there, and I'm sure plenty are happy about living there. No place is perfect, not even precious Korea. And helping Africa is not about charity. Africa doesn't need charity. It needs for other nations to be willing to commit to trade agreements (fair trade, btw) for its crops and other resources without ripping the people off.

[cuethemusicc.livejournal.com]

Ia. Many countries also rip them off and take their natural resources (oil, gold, etc).

[angela-derp-otp.livejournal.com]

omg what is she saying wtf. Africa is a freaking huge continent.
Crying in despair? thinking about HERSELF?
I can't with her comments tbh, she sounds really.... privileged (I'm not sure if that's the right word to use) and ignorant.

There are so many countries in Africa trying to develop and this type of ignorant commentary makes it really difficult for them.

[neumi.livejournal.com]

Omg this is the last time I'm gonna say this:

1. Carla Sunwoo is the writer who failed to distinguish "Burundi" and "Africa" in the first sentence of her article.

2. Shin Eun Kyung is a goddess who was deeply moved on this trip, and being reflective on the privileges we have in the developed world doesn't mean she was "thinking about HERSELF", rather, it's a natural thing that happens when you're confronted with the contrast. It's called empathy and introspection.

3. Everyone here talking smack should probably skip buying the next kpop CD and instead save up for a trip to one of the poorest parts of Africa themselves. Then come back and talk about how you never felt anything and weren't moved at all, and you never cried in despair, not even once. You'll be spit at and called heartless. Shoe, meet other foot.

[aleexnews.livejournal.com]

Way to judge so quickly from an article that doesn't even have a korean source. I saw the video where spoke about her trip to Burundi and she never even said 'Africa', most of the news articles only say Africa on them but when they asked her she only responded with "there", meaning Burundi, the place she toured for 3 days.

If you saw the video of everything she saw in Burundi you'd understand why she says its so terrible because she was in tears the whole time watching the reality those kids are going through, even I was crying watching kids searching through the trash and starving. ugh i hate vague articles like this, im glad she went there to do help and all the other stars who have gone too. i know its a shock but i hope they keep on doing what they can and help bring more attention to this cause.

if anyone wants to watch the video this is part of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPzbOl3p5oI i cant embed the interview part where she talks about the trip but you can find it attached on the bottom of most korean articles.

[zero82591.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU

[devilstay.livejournal.com]

Well...aren't you special. >_>

Seriously, when people say things like this, '...it really made me want to seek God.' I just think how naive, ignorant, and self-involved this person must be. I mean, was it necessary to do a 'three day tour around Africa' (because apparently you can explore a continent in three days) to make you see suffering, and seek God? Are the suicides, sexual abuse cases, bullying and more, not enough for you? Gtfo, neither Korea, or Africa need your pity, or your god for that matter. Patronising ass.

[neumi.livejournal.com]

Did you read the article? She went to Burundi. You sound like you could use a trip somewhere too, you seem full of hate and vitriol....

Perhaps you meant to turn your anger to SBS, the people behind this Hope TV show.

[love-keiko.livejournal.com]

africa is a continent; not a country.

this has been a public service announcement.

[kaiahh.livejournal.com]

Yes let's seek God, cause he obviously doesn't have any idea what's going on in Africa and maybe if we pray everything will be all better.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[grapewhine.livejournal.com]

Eugh.

[uledy.livejournal.com]

I don't understand this article. I don't understand taking a 3-day "tour" of an entire continent. I'll never understand poverty tourism either. I would say that it's great that she's supposedly taken the first steps in realizing her privileges, but I don't even know if that's happening here. A 3-day tour is not even close to enough time needed to understand the lives and circumstances of any people in any country, especially not an African one where there's so much misinformation and ignorance held by most people in the world.

On a side note: you feel like you really can't do much to alleviate their suffering

What a defeatist and short-sited attitude. Thank god she's an actress and not a social worker.

Maybe we'll learn more about her experience once the show airs? Perhaps there was an educational aspect attached to this trip or maybe it's triggered something inside her to start educating herself and others...? I'm just trying to give her the benefit of the doubt...

[niara-honey.livejournal.com]

All of Africa= one part of a country in Africa.
poverty tourism is a pretty lil add on to polish resumes and images nowadays.

[jia-zhang.livejournal.com]

Night sky in Nairobi. My friend went to Africa a few years ago (Kenya, I believe) to volunteer, and when she was there, she said that the night sky moved her to tears and she has never appreciated life as she did in that moment. I'm sure visiting Africa does make you feel guilty, but I would certainly also have appreciation for all the beauty that is there. Just saying.

[uledy.livejournal.com]

Any idea what that music is at the end? It's so familiar. From a cartoon?? I can't remember...

[yolleh.livejournal.com]

Even if it were the very domain of Satan himself, she was only there for 3 freaking days.
She therefore can't say much on the matter and her blanket statement strikes me as self absorbant and discriminatory.

HEAVY REVELATION: a lot of Africa is actually very developed

(http://photobucket.com/images/sideye)

[neumi.livejournal.com]

What blanket statement??

[asth77.livejournal.com]

My family thinks I'm gonna be shocked when I visit Cameroon so they've waited for my cousin to reach 30 year old before making her visit...
I completely understand what the actress' s talking about. I know what a cultural shock is when you live in poorer country than yours. I spent so many days hating being where I was. Worst holidays of my life. My friend who visted another african country that dealt with great poverty to do some charity work came back shocked as well because she didn't expect that it would be so hard to witness.
But Omona of course will bash her, and I actually belive they're probably more ignorant than her in any way.
Next.

[neumi.livejournal.com]

This. A+

[uledy.livejournal.com]

OT: But what was that show that Lee Junho did? The one where he spent his holiday somewhere in Africa?

[niara-honey.livejournal.com]

LOVE WHEN PPL SAY "AFRICA" LIKE THE WHOLE CONTINENT IS LIKE THAT. LIKE AFRICA IS A COUNTRY. A COUNTRY YOU CAN GAIN EVERY KIND OF EXPERIENCE FROM AND HAVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF IN 3 DAYS. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.
LAV.
EVERYONE IN THE NATION OF AFRICA IS SUFFERING.
fucking flipping every table.

i can't with this stuff anymore. good god

[neumi.livejournal.com]

MY QUEEN!! OMG I'm just happy to see an article about her period!!!! All the haters can have several seats, unless you've been to the poorest parts of Africa, you won't understand either. Of course she didn't mean the entire continent, don't be ignorant. If I'm mad at her for anything, it's for cutting up her FLAWLESS FACE recently. :( x infinity.

[fizzzzzzzzzzz.livejournal.com]

I have been to some of the poorest parts and I disagree completely. Stop trying to defend your idol when she says something stupid.

[opal.livejournal.com]

africa isn't a country.

[peachie-ego.livejournal.com]

Ok it's mistake in the writing. It's stated that she was in Burundi. Stop making trivial things into bigger issues and overlooking the positivity of the trip.