Oh Yoon-ah, the ‘ripple effect’ shown by celebrities

Actress Oh Yoon-ah (43) shared a beautiful story. This is from the mouth of a parent raising a disabled child. The parents, who had asked for help because their child had been abused but received no attention, relayed this news to Oh Yoon-ah.

Recently, an article titled ‘Thank you, actress Oh Yoon-ah’ was posted on an online community. Author A revealed that his child was abused at a daycare center. Mr. A's child was a disabled child.

I reported it to the media in hopes of getting help, but it didn't work out as hoped. The perpetrator was sentenced to probation in the first trial. The place Mr. A went to with a feeling of injustice was Oh Yoon-ah. Oh Yoon-ah is raising a developmentally disabled son. The judgment was that only parents in the same situation could share the pain.

As expected, Oh Yoon-ah held Mr. A's hand. Mr. A's story was announced through his SNS. People paid attention, and we were able to collect 8,000 petitions for severe punishment. The perpetrator was eventually sentenced to 10 months in prison rather than probation on appeal.

A small spark created by Oh Yoon-ah changed the result. This is an example of a celebrity with social influence using it positively. Actress Oh Yoon-ah herself experienced many difficulties while raising a disabled child, but she did not stop there and went on to help others.

In the entertainment industry, it is expected that interest in underprivileged groups such as the disabled, which accounts for 15% of the world's population, will increase as more cases like actress Oh Yoon-ah emerge. There are many cases where celebrities are not just entertainers, but show social influence and change the world. If society moves, 'a world where we live together' is not a story of the distant future.

Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr