In this blog post, I’ll summarize my thoughts on the MBC documentary episode on “Tablo” and discuss the positive and negative aspects of online exposés.

Introduction

The controversy over “Tablo’s academic credentials” has been a hot topic lately, and I watched the MBC documentary that covered it. I already knew before watching the documentary that “Tablo did indeed graduate from Stanford,” but as I watched the broadcast, various thoughts crossed my mind.

The most disappointing statement in the broadcast

There was one statement I found most disappointing while watching the broadcast, and it has stayed with me ever since. It came during an interview with the administrators of Tajinyo.

“While some people work hard, spending a fortune to study abroad—staying up all night and even bleeding from their noses while studying—others don’t study at all, just hang out and do hip-hop all the time, and then come back to Korea and become famous…” (MBC Special, October 1, 2010)

Watching this segment, I was deeply disappointed in the Tablo Investigation Project management team. I’m not usually opposed to raising questions. In a society where freedom of expression is guaranteed, I believe it’s valid to raise concerns if some of Tablo’s actions have fueled suspicions. However, the statement above was nothing more than a disparaging remark against hip-hop as an art form and the people who dedicate themselves to it.
As a hip-hop fan, I was all the more outraged because I know that Tablo devotes himself entirely to music, except when he’s sleeping. Everyone has different fields of endeavor and dreams. Yet this management team looked down on hip-hop without considering those differences and unconsciously assumed that “academic achievement is superior to hip-hop.”
As Confucius said, “When three people walk together, there is surely a teacher among them (三人行 必有我師).” Compared to this saying—which implies that there is something to learn from everyone—the attitude of the Tajin-yo management team appeared to be a character flaw stemming from a very narrow-minded perspective.

The Attitude of the Broadcast and the Tajin-yo Cafe

Watching the documentary made the Tajin-yo Cafe’s excessive behavior and mistakes seem even more egregious. Nevertheless, even after the broadcast, the cafe’s management continued to distrust the program and refused to admit their wrongdoing. While I can sympathize with their distrust of broadcasts and the media, I cannot condone wrongful actions or baseless accusations.
The mass media possesses a strong potential to steer public opinion in the direction it desires. This is an issue that requires caution. For example, a television documentary team conducted a non-profit fundraising experiment with two elementary school classes: they showed one class a short video depicting neighbors in need and asked them to donate the next day; the results showed that the class that watched the video raised significantly more money. This case demonstrates that the media can greatly influence human behavior.

Views on the Expansion to Military Service and Citizenship Issues

Tajin-yo shifted the topic from educational credentials to address Tablo’s Canadian citizenship and military service issues. As someone who has served in the military, I am sensitive to military matters; however, the claim that Tablo acquired Canadian citizenship to evade military service is purely emotional, and without evidence proving illegality, it cannot be rashly concluded.
It is also difficult to agree with Tajin-yo’s call for Tablo’s deportation based on the case of Yoo Seung-jun. Arguments that seek to punish an individual by invoking emotional similarities must be approached with caution.

Positive Aspects of Tajin-yo

On the other hand, there are clearly positive aspects to the points raised by Tajin-yo. Raising doubts about academic credentials is significant in that it challenges the deep-rooted social ills of academic elitism and blind trust in authority.

People sometimes tend to overestimate other characteristics due to the “halo effect” of fame or an impressive career.
Furthermore, the fact that they raised these allegations and brought the issue into the public discourse via the internet is also positive. The internet has evolved beyond a simple tool for information retrieval to become a means of exposing social injustices. While cases of false academic credentials and controversies related to military service have been exposed through the media in the past, it is significant that the internet can now function as the driving force behind such exposés.

The Dark Side and Ethics of Online Exposés

However, online exposés can easily degenerate into witch hunts. The Tablo incident can be seen as a prime example, and in other cases, innocent people have suffered harm. For example, in a case involving a group sexual assault, not only was a specific individual’s private life excessively exposed, but so were those of people around him. As a result, some of the people named were actually uninvolved, which demonstrates the dangers of online exposés.
Therefore, online exposés must be based on fact-checking and a sense of ethical responsibility. Personal insults and baseless revelations cannot be justified, and the power of the public sphere must be used with caution.

Desirable Directions for the Use of Online Accusations

Personally, I hope that online accusations are used not merely to discredit individual celebrities, but to expose social injustices, crimes, and corruption involving those in power. For example, it would be highly meaningful if issues such as the abuse of privileges—like military service exemptions—recruitment corruption in the appointment of high-ranking officials, and preferential hiring practices involving public officials were raised in the online public sphere and led to reforms.
When online solidarity combines with the demands of civil society, it can help prevent crime and root out corruption. However, this process must be accompanied by ethics that prioritize fact-checking, respect for human rights, and refraining from excessive personal defamation.

Conclusion

Watching the MBC documentary, I felt mixed emotions. While it is meaningful that “Tajin-yo” raised issues in our society, its tendency to belittle individuals and escalate matters with baseless claims deserves criticism. The internet can serve as a powerful forum for public discourse and a tool for oversight, but I would like to emphasize once again that when wielding that power, facts and ethical responsibility must take precedence.