A man whose tribute to his late father was misreported as the obituary of cartoonist Heo Young-man is speaking out after facing a wave of criticism, insisting his father did not even share the artist’s name.
According to a report by Xports News, the netizen published a lengthy statement on his personal channel on October 9, saying he had written the original post simply “with a heart mourning my father.” The post was picked up by some outlets as Heo Young-man’s death notice; those articles were later corrected.
He also pushed back on a detail that spread during the coverage — that the two men shared the same name. “The artist and my father have completely different names, down to the family name,” he said. His father’s name was Kim Jung-hwi, and he added that he does not want his father’s name “changed” by the false reports, nor to be called by another name himself.
He appealed to critics who had blamed him without knowing the facts, saying that passing judgment on a bereaved family so easily “can become another wound for someone who has sent off a loved one.”
The mix-up began on October 8, when word spread online that Heo Young-man had died. A representative for the cartoonist told Xports News the report was false, saying they were a bit flustered but that such things can happen. They added that Heo Young-man is recovering and doing well in rehabilitation.
No official statement beyond the representative’s remarks was available. The author said he only hopes the misunderstandings caused by the false report come to an end.
