Kim’s Convenience star Jean Yoon details ‘painful’ experience working on Canadian sitcom

Kim’s Convenience star Jean Yoon details ‘painful’ experience working on Canadian sitcom due to lack of Korean writers

Another star of Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience is speaking out about the behind-the-scenes drama on the TV series.

Jean Yoon posted a string of tweets Sunday as she backed her co-star Simu Liu who had posted a long message on Facebook abut his frustrations at the way the characters were portrayed and the actors were treated. 

‘The lack of Asian female, especially Korean writers in the writers room of Kims made my life VERY DIFFICULT & the experience of working on the show painful,’ Yoon, 59, tweeted.

Spoke out: Jean Yoon posted a string of tweets Sunday detailing the ‘painful’ experience of working on Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience that’s just been canceled after five seasons

The sitcom, about a Korean-Canadian family who run a neighborhood store, was just canceled after five seasons on CBC.

Yoon shared that some of the scripts for the final season included plot points that were ‘overtly racist’,

She stated that some storylines were ‘so extremely culturally inaccurate that the cast came together and expressed concerns collectively.’

She also claimed that if she hadn’t spoken up, then ‘all the Korean food in the show would have been wrong’ because ‘they had no Korean cultural resources in the writers room at all.’ 

Hurt: Yoon, 59, claimed storylines for the final season of the show about a Korean-Canadian family who run a store were 'overtly racist' and 'so extremely culturally inaccurate'

Hurt: Yoon, 59, claimed storylines for the final season of the show about a Korean-Canadian family who run a store were ‘overtly racist’ and ‘so extremely culturally inaccurate’

Issues: The actress said if she hadn't spoken up, then 'all the Korean food in the show would have been wrong' because 'they had no Korean cultural resources in the writers room at all'

Issues: The actress said if she hadn’t spoken up, then ‘all the Korean food in the show would have been wrong’ because ‘they had no Korean cultural resources in the writers room at all’ 

Canceled: Yoon took to Twitter to back co-star Simu Liu who posted a long message on Facebook about his frustrations at the way characters were portrayed and actors were treated

Canceled: Yoon took to Twitter to back co-star Simu Liu who posted a long message on Facebook about his frustrations at the way characters were portrayed and actors were treated

The official reason for the show’s cancelation is the departure of showrunners Ins Choi and Kevin White.

But in his lengthy Facebook post, Simu Liu pointed out that producers are moving forward with a spin-off starring the only main non-Asian castmember Nicole Power.

‘I love and am proud of Nicole, and I want the show to succeed for her,’ the Chinese-born  actor, 32, wrote. ‘But I remain resentful of all of the circumstances that led to the one non-Asian character getting her own show. And not that they would ever ask, but I will adamantly refuse to reprise my role in any capacity.’ 

He also complained about how the Asian cast were treated and ignored, sharing: ‘We were a cast of Asian Canadians who had a plethora of lived experiences to draw from and offer to writers. But we were often told of the next seasons’ plans mere days before we were set to start shooting.

‘I remain fixated on the missed opportunities to show Asian characters with real depth and the ability to grow and evolve.’