From July 2010 to September 2011, Jin Ha posted 90 photos of middle-aged or elderly Korean women on his Tumblr account ‘Flowers in Bloom’.
Most of the photos were taken on subways or bus stops, apparently without the women’s consent, and their faces were not pixelated.
He also left sexually suggestive captions on some photos, including, “Working with such a provocative model, I found it hard to keep myself and my concupiscence under control,” and more.
The decade-old blog also drew attention following the world premiere of ‘Pachinko’ on March 25.
Then March 26, Jin Ha left a statement on his personal website, saying, “My ‘Flowers in Bloom’ Tumblr account from 2011 should not have been made at all. It was a breach of privacy for the elder women, and many of my captions were inappropriate. I deeply regret my actions, and I apologize for them.”
He also shared that he requested Tumblr to delete the account, which was done immediately.
He added, “I sincerely apologize to the senior women whom I photographed. I apologize, as well, to the viewers whom I offended with this Tumblr account. I will work diligently to learn from this mistake so that I may never repeat it going forward.”
Based on Korean-American author Min Jin Lee’s 2017 bestseller ‘Pachinko’, the series follows four generations of ethnic Koreans living in Japan, known as Zainichi Koreans.
Jin Ha’s character in the series, Solomon Baek, is a grandson of the protagonist ‘Sunja’, portrayed by Academy-winning actress Yun Yuh-jung.
(Credit= Apple TV+, Tumblr)
( Star)
