Paku Midin: The toxic side of K-Pop fandom

SEA VERSUS SOUTH KOREA: A K-POP FAN WAR NOBODY ASKED FOR - SOCIAL MEDIA WAR

"South Korean K-Pop fans dropped racial bombs targeting Southeast Asians on social media."

@Jr_Paku Midin Channel

A war of nasty comments broke out on social media and Malaysia is caught right in middle.

It seems that South Korean netizens have launched an offensive racial strike against Southeast Asians in general after an incident at a recent K-Pop concert went viral.

Naturally, Malaysians took up arms and retaliated against the remarks that were uncalled for, and soon after, Indonesians also sent their cavalry.

Why did South Koreans drop racist bombs on the SEA community?

It all began at the DAY6 (a Korean pop group) concert held on 31 January 2026 at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.

A South Korean “fansite master” — dedicated K-Pop fans who take high-quality photos and videos of idols at events — had allegedly brought in professional camera equipment including long, bulky lenses which is strongly against the event’s regulations.

Malaysians who caught the fan on video quickly spread the rule-break.

The fan was said to have apologised but other South Korean fans suddenly became hostile towards Southeast Asians on social media.

Racial insults about faces, languages and economy were hurled towards Southeast Asians by angry South Koreans who demanded respect for their fan-idol culture.

Later, K-Pop fans from other ASEAN countries also jumped into the fight when they caught wind of South Korean fans slamming their neighbours, including Thailand and Vietnam.

What did the South Koreans fans say about Southeast Asians?

Most of the insults touched on appearances and economic wealth of Southeast Asian nations.

One post on X (formerly Twitter) by a South Korean user showed a video screenshot of women traipsing through a paddy field with the caption: “We had no money to rent a set, so we filmed in a rice field”.

Another post showed a picture of an ape, accompanied with the caption “Angry Southeast Asian women” although another user retaliated with the same photo but a different caption: “Korean people’s original faces before plastic surgery”.

The toxic side of K-Pop fandom

Fans of certain niche interests are known to be extremely protective of their passions, and there is evidence of Korean pop fans who go above and beyond to defend their idols, to a point the community becomes toxic.

Cyberbullying and hate campaigns are rampant in the community, as toxic fans use social media platforms to attack those who criticise their idols, other fandoms, or even other members within the same group.

Even the idols themselves are not safe from their toxic fans as these individuals develop a possessive and controlling attitude over their idol’s personal lives, believing they should control aspects like dating choices, friends, and even creative expressions.

Many online forums actually discuss this behaviour, and they’re often by those who wish to understand why their favourite entertainment industry is plagued with toxic fans.

With that said, it’s not fair to say all South Koreans are inherently racist. The K-Pop industry is actually quite niche and the problematic individuals do not represent their society as a whole.

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