YouTube K-Story capture.

Sam Okyere (36), a Ghanaian television personality, appeared on a broadcast for the first time in about five years and opened up about the time since the controversy.

On the 18th of last month, Okyere appeared on the YouTube channel ‘K-Story’ and shared how he had been feeling. When former lawmaker Lee Jasmine, who hosted, asked, “It must have been tough; how have you been?”, he answered candidly, “I went through a lot.”

He said that the fact he had received more love than hate gave him the strength to endure. As he had been loved by many Korean fans, he added that even amid difficulty he always thought he should endure with integrity so as not to be ashamed in the face of that love.

As for why he stayed in Korea instead of returning to Ghana after the controversy, he confided, “Because I had nowhere to go.” He said he came to Korea at 19, became an adult here, learned a great deal, and grew up here, so Korea feels like home. He said, “If I am told to leave home and go somewhere else, where would I go? I have nowhere to go.” He added, “Thinking it over for five years, I realized my affection for Korea runs very deep. Even the way I think has become almost like a Korean person.”

He admitted that the online criticism was not easy to handle. He said, “There were so many aggressive comments that I even hesitated over whether to go out.” However, once outside, older people he met at restaurants treated him warmly and comforted him, saying, “You must have had a hard time.” He said, “Because the responses online and in real life were different, I was confused at first, but I decided I should focus on those who like me.”

He also said, “Although I was hurt by people, if my words or actions hurt anyone, I felt truly sorry.” He said that over the past five years he tried his hand at private business, learned new fields, and kept studying Korean. He added that he attempted a return to broadcasting but ultimately gave up.

Sam Okyere Instagram capture.

In 2020, Okyere became embroiled in controversy after posting on social media a parody photo by Uijeongbu High School students of ‘Coffin Dance Boys’ and pointing out that painting their faces black was derogatory toward Black people.

Subsequently, it resurfaced that Okyere had used the hashtag ‘teakpop’, a term demeaning K-pop, and had made a gesture belittling East Asians on a past broadcast; it also became known that he had clicked ‘Like’ on a sexually harassing comment. As a result, he faced intense criticism and halted his activities.

Regarding this, Okyere apologized, saying, “I did not think deeply about the fact that their faces were not blurred or about their position, which likely had no intent to belittle.” He also bowed his head over the comment that led to accusations of sexual harassment and said, “If anyone was hurt by my actions or words, I am truly sorry.”

Meanwhile, Okyere is a Ghanaian television personality who has appeared on numerous shows, including the JTBC variety program ‘Abnormal Summit’, as well as ‘Where Is My Friend Home’, ‘Real Men’, and ‘Korean Foreigners’.