A video of a father being interrupted by his children during a BBC interview has prompted discussions over instant online stardom, mixed-race couples and even a connection with South Korea’s THAAD anti-missile defense system.

Robert Kelly, an assistant professor of political science at Pusan National University in South Korea, shot to online stardom a week ago when a live interview he was giving to the BBC was interrupted by his two young children.

Kelly was talking about the impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-hye to the BBC via Skype from his home office when his young daughter swaggered into his study, later followed by her little brother in his infant walker.

The father struggled to keep a straight face and tried to push his daughter away, then apologized and attempted to continue his interview

His wife, Kim Jung-A, realizing what was happening, then dashed into the room to retrieve the kids and bringing an end to the half-minute chaos.

But the episode soon took on a life of its own as the video went viral.

In a follow-up BBC interview with the full family, Kelly admitted: “Once my son came in in the little roller, there was nothing I could do. I was just hoping you guys would cut it on your end.”

Even as the children’s comedic behaviour drew laughter around the worldwide, the video also triggered a debate over many viewers’ initial mistake that Kim was not Kelly’s wife but the nanny. Critics said this was an offensive stereotype about Asian women and Caucasian men. 

Among Chinese netizens, some were indeed offended.

“Didn’t you see the little girl had an Asian face? Are you blind?,” said one Weibo user, for whom Kim was obviously the wife.

User @yuanlaiquanbuzhidao meanwhile blasted Westerners who “take for granted that the woman is the children’s nanny.”

Interestingly, however, some Chinese online users made the same mistake as non-Asians, with many praising the “great nanny” for her quick reactions.

Others noted the speed at which videos go viral.

“People never know when they will achieve stardom, so I’m always prepared,” said Weibo user @Deborah-Weinswigweibaolan.

In his follow-up interview, Kelly indeed noted that his family’s first response to the incident was that they had blown their relationship with the BBC, and the broadcaster would never call him again.

Another Chinese netizen noted that the video had managed to eclipse the angry debate in China over South Korea’s THAAD anti-missile defense system – a possibly welcome diversion.

 “It went viral all of a sudden? It has stolen the limelight of THAAD,” said @guangxijianongbaixiangguo.

Kelly meanwhile put an end to speculation over why he did not help his children out of the room, after viewers joked he might not have been fully clothed and might have been afraid to stand up.

‍“Yes,” he told the BBC, “I was wearing pants.”