Southeast Asians unite in digital boycott of South Korea as #SEAbling trends
A row over K-pop fan behaviour in Malaysia has spiralled into a bitter regional dispute online, with echoes of the ‘Milk Tea Alliance’
The dispute traces back to a concert on January 31 by the Korean band Day6 in Kuala Lumpur, where several Korean fans were filmed attempting to use prohibited cameras with telephoto lenses and arguing with local security staff.
Videos of the incident spread rapidly online, prompting criticism from users across the region.
Online exchanges soon escalated into a cycle of insults.
Some Korean users responded to criticism with posts mocking Southeast Asia’s economy, peoples and cultures, including a post which drew 83 million views that depicted Southeast Asian women as orangutans.
Users in Southeast Asia retaliated with posts targeting South Korea’s plastic surgery rates, suicide rate and food.