“What started as a ruckus at a K-pop concert in Malaysia has snowballed into a wave of racist online attacks by some South Korean users against Southeast Asians, triggering a rare show of regional solidarity across social media,” the Jakarta Post reported on Monday.

The dispute reportedly began following a DAY6 concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Jan. 31, when a person identified as a Korean fan site operator allegedly snuck a professional camera with a long lens into the venue, despite such equipment being banned on the premises. After Malaysian netizens shared a video of the individual in question on social media, Korean online users accused them of violating the person’s privacy. Malaysians countered that the person was being exposed for breaking the rules.

Users from other Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, chipped in and even asserted their willingness to boycott Korean pop culture content and Korean-made items from brands such as Samsung Electronics and Olive Young. This led to the online hashtag “SEAbling,” a portmanteau of the abbreviation for Southeast Asia and “sibling.”

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