A Korean-American physician says he was greeted mockingly with “Konnichiwa” after a flight by someone who appeared to be a United employee, then watched as the awkward exchange turned into something more insulting. While this may not be a David Dao incident, it seems like a serious unforced error.
Doctor Says United Failed To Step In After “Konnichiwa” Incident
Dr. Michael Park says he was left “truly appalled” after an incident involving a racially awkward exchange following a United Airlines flight.
On Instagram, Park explains that he was deplaning when a man greeting passengers allegedly addressed him with “Konnichiwa,” the Japanese greeting. Park is a Korean-American, and the exchange only became more uncomfortable from there, with the man apparently conflating Korean and Japanese language and culture while a(n another?) United employee allegedly watched it happen.
Watch the video:
Park explained he used a “mocking like tacky fake accent tone” and added:
“United, do better. I’m truly appalled. What happened to me yesterday was unacceptable, and your employee watched it happen.”
Who was this guy? When confronted by Park, he denied being a United employee and yet was standing there greeting the flight as if he was one. Park doesn’t mention where his flight landed at, but adds that he confronted the man, calling him a racist.
I am going to be careful here because this is one side of the story, and I do not know exactly who the man was, what role he had, or what United employee allegedly observed the interaction. But the gist of the complaint is easy enough to understand.
This was the familiar experience of being reduced to “Asian,” then having the mistake doubled down on as if Korea and Japan are interchangeable.
In a follow-up video, he blames systemic racism, saying his medical degree meant nothing to this person:
This Is A Serious Charge
Some people will roll their eyes at this. They will say it was only a greeting, no harm was intended, and people like Park are too sensitive. And maybe the person who said it did not intend to insult Park. Unlike Park, I don’t see proof of racism (which I define as the belief that one racial group is superior or inferior to another) here.
But intent is not the whole story.
If you greet a passenger with a random East Asian-language greeting based only on appearance, you are not being clever, you are making an assumption. When that assumption is wrong, the best response is to own up and ask for forgiveness.
Airlines move people across cultures every day. United, in particular, loves to talk about connecting the world. That message rings a bit hollow if employees or representatives at the airport stand by while a passenger is made to feel like a caricature.
The correct response from United should be simple: look into it, identify who was involved, and remind employees and contractors that passengers should be treated as individuals, not stereotypes. If a United employee watched this unfold and did nothing, that is worth addressing too.
I do not think every awkward comment should destroy someone’s career. People make mistakes. But when you work in an airport, especially for a global airline, you should know better than to greet passengers with language based on what you think their ethnicity might be. It’s just silly.
And if you do make that mistake, humility goes a long way.
CONCLUSION
Dr. Michael Park says he was subjected to an uncomfortable “Konnichiwa” exchange after a United flight while a (fellow?) United employee watched.
On one level, this is a small incident. On another level, it is precisely the kind of everyday indignity that will resonate with many Asian-Americans. United should not overreact, but a global airline should train its people, and anyone representing it, to avoid lazy racial assumptions and to step in when a passenger is being made uncomfortable. A simple rule would suffice: greet people with English in the United States, not as whatever ethnicity you guess they might be.
videos + image: @dr.michaelpark / Instagram
Just another foreign “Doctor” with a superiority complex like the Dao clown. They should be happy they have the opportunity to make insane amounts of money in America. If fhey were decent people they would go back to their own country and save their people from inferior healthcare with their skills. But no, they are greedy and selfish, not that there is anything wrong with that.
No one was hurt here and this is a non story about an entitled assclown looking for attention. Hopefully United doesn’t give in to his Yakuza or Triad level extortion claims.
He’s an American…not a South Korean. Certainly he can handle himself well and I don’t think he deserves compensation, but I do think he was right to call out the agent for acting like an idiot.
No, he called out because he has the typical doctor mentality even outside the medical office / hospital, that they should be looked up and be respected and be called “doctor” at all times, if not why would he bring up his “medical degree” ???
I think there’s truth to that – a typical doctor indeed. But he’s still right to not let that stupid comment pass.
I call BS. Looks like Park is just trying to be Jussie Smollet 2.0.
One would hope if a stranger addresses an individual in a language not familiar to the listener, answering using the primary language of the listening party would be sufficient to convey the message of inability to speak a particular language used by the stranger. Doctor heal thyself.
SOLVED
https://m.youtube.com/@Dr.MichaelPark
He’s a grifting vlogger looking for more clicks and subscribers. Calling him a “Doctor” is technically correct but he’s a step above the nice lady at Macy’s cosmetic counter.
100% fake outrage for publicity.
And yet, you don’t own up to assuming he’s South Korean, eh? I think I can assume which political party you belong to.
What a piece of work. The over-therapization of people and therapy’s ‘frameworks’ create unproductive vitriol. Will not use his practice if he becomes part of one.
Could have just said, I’m Korean, not Japanese FYI and left it there. Or nothing at all.