Southeast Asian fans are calling for a boycott of K-dramas and Korean products after a concert incident where Korean fans were allowed large cameras, violating venue rules. This has sparked online debate, with many SEA fans feeling unfairly treated and threatening to impact viewership, while South Korean netizens dismiss the boycott’s significance.
Many fans from Southeast Asia have called for the boycott of Korean products as well as Korean language dramas and music. The backlash began after South Korean fans were allowed to bring big cameras into a concert venue held in SEA, despite there being rules against such items. As of now, many Southeast Asian fans have rallied against Korean content and have announced that they will be boycotting such material until further notice.Read on to know more about the matter.
Southeast Asian fans call for a boycott of K-dramas and K-pop
In a couple of videos shared online, which have now gone viral, local SEA fans stated that many Korean fans were allowed to carry large and professional cameras into the venue of a concert. However, they pointed out that this should not be the case and is against the rules. Due to public outrage over the move, many fans have now taken to social media to announce that they will no longer watch Korean content.According to research done by Statista Research Department in 2022, The Phillipines was rated as the biggest consumer of K-drama content. They are followed closely by Egypt, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Many fans pointed out that since Southeast Asian regions rule the viewership ratings for K-dramas, the boycott is set to affect the show’s overall viewership drastically. One person’s post read “Yo guys, I know we all love k-pop, k-drama (me too at times). Y not we boycott their industry until they issue an apology. They rely heavily on us, we hit them where it hurts (:”, while anothe rposted, “This whole SEA vs Korean thing (crying emojis) everyone was laughing and against Koreans until it involved their fav K-pop idol and now microaggressions suddenly don’t exist and Koreans aren’t racist anymore just wrap this whole thing up.”
South Korean netizens hit back with criticism
As the debate went on, many South Korean netizens also took to online platforms to share their own opinions on the matter. Many criticized Southeast Asian fans over taking things too seriously. One person even commented that “You watch them illegally, so a boycott doesn’t really matter,” while another shared that, “Thinking this is a big boycott lol. They didn’t make this for you anyway, and you’re watching illegally. Not watching is helping. Thanks for the boycott, and don’t come to Korea or pay attention to it.”
