A South Korean police officer has issued a public apology after getting into a “bark-off” with prominent American streamer IShowSpeed during a live broadcast.
YouTube star IShowSpeed is currently streaming his travels in South Korea — a trip that’s already spawned some viral moments, such as the time he got bitten in the face by a small dog during a night out on the town.
Now, another part of his stream has taken over social media after the influencer got into a “bark-off” with a police officer who was driving by Speed on the road during a patrol.
Both men filmed the interaction from their respective vehicles, with the officer starting the whole thing by flashing a peace sign at the camera before barking at the streamer, who, in typical Speed fashion, barked back at him.
South Korean police officer barked at Speed from his car window. 🤣 😂pic.twitter.com/Onm6Nqhuzk#ishowspeed #speed #kiss #funny #gf #south #korea #fyb #fy #fypシ #viral #KISSOFLIFE #SouthKorea
— RisingStreamSnaps (@RisingStreamSnp) May 14, 2024
Although many viewers found the scene hilarious and endearing, the officer has now taken to the comments section on a YouTube video of the viral moment to write out a public apology to viewers.
In his lengthy apology, the officer explained that he and his partner were on patrol at the time and saw Speed in a car in the next lane. “Since we were always fans, we took selfies using our phones and made barking noises to express our happiness,” he wrote.
He also noted that, although South Korea prohibits phone use while driving under the country’s Road Traffic Act, there is an exception for using mobile devices while stopped at traffic lights — so he wasn’t breaking any laws.
However, the officer said he “should have shown a more serious and trustworthy appearance to citizens” and will “reflect on my actions and will continue to strive to be a role model for citizens as a police officer.”
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“I would appreciate it if those who watch the video only criticize me rather than the police themselves, and watch it with a bit of generosity, thinking that there are some interesting people among the police officers,” he added.
Responses to the officer’s comment were mixed, with some admonishing him to “maintain his dignity,” while others said there was “nothing to be sorry about.”
“A police officer who is friendly to citizens is good,” one Korean user said of the video.
“That’s Speed’s trademark, so you just followed along,” another wrote.
IShowSpeed is known for randomly breaking out into ‘barking’ fits, something that’s become a signature part of his repertoire. In the past, Speed has barked at a few high-profile figures, such as YouTube king MrBeast, who ended a Facetime call with the streamer after he started barking at him.
At the time of writing, it doesn’t appear that Speed has responded to the officer’s apology — but at the time of their interaction, he seemed fairly excited at being recognized by South Korean police, saying, “W police!” after the officers rolled down their window to chat with him.
This is just the latest moment to go viral from Speed’s South Korea streams after the YouTuber got confronted by the country’s military after trying to broadcast at the North Korean border.