Seoul eyes better risk management in ASEAN region after racism backlash

An image shared by a Southeast Asian social media user calls for a boycott of K‑dramas. Captured from X, formerly Twitter

Online calls to “boycott Korea” across Southeast Asian social media have prompted Seoul to reassess how vulnerable its hard‑won soft power in the region is to sudden reputational shocks, according to a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The official, who oversees Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) affairs, told The Korea Times that the ministry has been tracking signs of anti‑Korean sentiment and the “SEAblings” online backlash since it erupted after a recent K‑pop concert in Malaysia.

“We’re concerned about this anger spreading into wider public sentiment, so we have been monitoring it closely,” the official said on Thursday.

The conflict traces back to a Jan. 31 concert by Korean band DAY6 in Kuala Lumpur, where a group of Korean fan site photographers were accused of bringing in high-resolution cameras despite a strict ban on such equipment.

Local fans who said their views were blocked posted videos and screenshots, saying the photographers did not respect Malaysian rules. What began as an online dispute over manners escalated into trading insults, with some Koreans making fun of Southeast Asians and their countries. In response, Southeast Asian internet users quickly amplified those comments across social media under the “SEAblings” hashtag — a term they use to emphasize regional solidarity — fueling calls for a boycott of Korean products and cultural contents.

The ministry official said that although there are clear signs of the campaign fading, Seoul has treated the episode as a matter of concern, stepping up region‑wide monitoring of online discourse in Malay, Indonesian and other Southeast Asian languages to track how far anti‑Korean sentiment is spreading.

While the movement has not expanded much beyond its initial surge, he acknowledged that the outrage exposed how quickly anti‑Korean sentiment can flare up when specific incidents collide with existing grievances.

“We cannot completely rule out the possibility that, as K‑culture becomes more prominent, some counter‑reactions will also grow,” he said.

Similar online flare‑ups have repeatedly erupted in recent years over immigration disputes, airport run‑ins and social media spats involving Thai, Filipino and Malaysian nationals.

The official said this pattern shows the need for more systematic risk management in ASEAN, not just short-term crisis responses, and for a careful approach through joint projects such as the ASEAN‑Korea ROUND music festival and youth sports exchanges.

Calling ASEAN one of Korea’s top three trading partners, he said Korea’s broader goal is to build long‑term goodwill and not let episodic online controversies overshadow what he still sees as broadly friendly Korea‑ASEAN ties.

Some Southeast Asian residents here say the anti‑Korean sentiment expressed online is not just about this incident but reflects deeper grievances that have built up over time.

“I think the online anger is also rooted in the racism Southeast Asians face from Koreans. It’s not an isolated case,” a Filipino resident said on condition of anonymity. “Our point of view is that some Koreans have an internal bias against Southeast Asians, or look down on us, which we think of and accept as economically motivated racism. In a society that values hierarchy, Southeast Asians, especially migrant workers, seem like they’re seen as at the bottom of the social class.”

She believes the recent concert dispute “became a trigger for deeper frustrations,” as many Southeast Asians feel that “while they consume and idolize Korean content, some Koreans still look down on them,” she said.

She also noted that Southeast Asian fans are very active on social media and see themselves as having helped the K-pop boom go global by becoming its first and biggest supporters and creating foreign-language content about it years before the rest of the globe fully embraced it.

But not all Southeast Asian residents in Korea see the boycott campaign seriously.

A Vietnamese resident said she considers the episode “just a simple happening” and does not see signs of any organized anti‑Korea movement among Vietnamese communities either in Korea or back home.

Korea’s public diplomacy organizations, such as the Korea Foundation, are also watching the mood but say they intend to stay focused on longer‑term efforts.

“We are aware that as Korea’s global popularity has grown, there are also some negative perceptions of the country,” a foundation official said. “As a public diplomacy institution, we will continue to develop a range of programs that take into account country‑specific views of Korea in order to strengthen positive perceptions of Korea.”