The online space is buzzing with tension as a massive digital dispute between Southeast Asian and South Korean netizens has escalated, now directly impacting one of the biggest names in K-pop. BTS, the global superstars set to hold concerts in Jakarta this December, are at the center of a storm as some fans are demanding the group cancel their Indonesia tour dates. This situation stems from a broader online conflict that began in late January 2026 and has since spiraled into a full-blown international feud .
The Origin: A Concert Dispute in Malaysia
The roots of this conflict trace back to a Day6 concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 31, 2026 . During the show, some South Korean attendees, reportedly affiliated with fan communities, used professional-grade cameras inside the venue. This violated the concert organizers’ rules that prohibited such equipment. When Malaysian concertgoers and netizens criticized this action online, it sparked a defensive response from Korean netizens .
What began as a simple disagreement over concert etiquette quickly transformed. The debate expanded beyond the camera incident, with some discussions including stereotypes about skin color, economic conditions, and cultural comparisons between regions . Some Korean netizens were accused of posting comments that were derogatory toward Southeast Asian people, which led to a unified response from netizens across the ASEAN region .
Who Are SEAblings and Knetz?
To understand this feud, it helps to know the groups involved. Knetz is the common term for Korean netizens who actively participate in online discussions. SEAblings is a term coined by netizens from Southeast Asiaโcombining “SEA” (Southeast Asia) and “siblings.” It represents internet users from countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam who have banded together to support one another in this digital space .
The Conflict Spreads and Escalates
As the exchange grew heated, the conversation moved beyond just the original incident. The conflict intensified when posts emerged that some interpreted as comparing the physical appearance of Southeast Asians to primates. This naturally provoked strong reactions from netizens in the region .
The feud also pulled in public figures. Indonesian actor Baskara Mahendra became a target after being subjected to racist comments. In retaliation, some Indonesian netizens made comparisons involving BTS leader RM (Kim Nam-joon) , drawing contrasts between his appearance and that of the Indonesian actor. This move dragged the BTS member directly into the crossfire .
BTS Jakarta Concerts Face Cancellation Calls
With emotions running high, the focus has now shifted to BTS’s upcoming “ARIRANG” world tour. The group is scheduled to perform in Jakarta for two nights on December 26 and 27, 2026 . These dates are part of their massive 79-show tour across 34 countries, marking their first full-group tour since completing military service .
However, the ongoing online war has led some fans to demand that BTS skip Indonesia entirely. Viral posts on social media platform X claim that the BTS members, particularly RM, have been unfairly targeted with extreme hate as a result of this feud .
One fan expressed concern about safety, posting:
“ๅธๆๅไฟๅทกๆผ็ดๆฅ่ทณ้ๅฐๅฐผใ้ฃๅๅๅฎถ็็ถๅฐไบบ็ฐก็ดๆฏ็จฎๆๆญง่ฆๅๆดๅๅฐไบๆฅต้ป๏ผ็ ง้ๅฐๆญฅ็ไพ๏ผ้ฃไฟไปๅไธๆ็็ๅฐไปๅๆ๐ฅด” (Translation: “Hope Namjoon’s tour skips Indonesia. The locals in that country are extremely racist and violent. At this point, who knows if they might actually lay hands on him”) .
Another user echoed similar sentiments, calling for the cancellation:
“ๆ็ๅฟๅธๆBTS่ฝๅๆถๅฐๅฐผๆผๅฑๆ๏ผๅ ็บ้ไธๅ็็ๅคช่่ฌฌไบใๅพ้ฃไบๅ้ฃฝๆฒไบๅนน็็ถๅฐไบบ/K-pop็ฒ็ตฒ็ก็ทฃ็กๆ ้จทๆพ้ๅฐไปๅ๏ผๅฐไปๅ้ฃๅ็ๆฟๅบๆณๅฉ็จไปๅ๏ผๆ่จๆพ้ไปๅๅง” (Translation: “I sincerely hope BTS cancels the Indonesia concert because all of this is just too absurd. From those bored locals/K-pop fans harassing them for no reason, to their terrible government trying to use them? Please just leave them alone”) .
Some pointed out that the negative comments toward BTS members predate the current SEAblings vs. Knetz debate, with certain Indonesian accounts allegedly targeting RM, V, and Jungkook over issues like appearance and brand endorsements for months .
Indonesian ARMY Fights Back
The demands to cancel the Jakarta shows have not gone unanswered. Local Indonesian ARMY members (BTS fans) have pushed back strongly against these calls. They argue that the actions of a few online troublemakers should not be blamed on the entire Indonesian fanbase or country.
An Indonesian fan responded emotionally:
“ๆ่จๅฅ้้บผ่ชชใ้ๅฐๅฐๅฐผ็ARMYไพ่ชชไนๅพๅๅทใ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ ไฝ ๅไธ็ฅ้ๆๅๅฐไป้ไบไบบๆๅคๅฟ็ดฏใๆๅๅทฒ็ถ่ฉฆ่ๆชข่ไธฆๅฐ้้ไบไบบไบ๏ผไฝไปๅๅฐฑๆฏไธ็ดๅๅบไพ๏ผ่ถ้ฝ่ถไธ่ตฐใ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ” (Translation: “Please don’t say that. This is really hurtful for Indonesian ARMY too. ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ You don’t know how exhausting it is for us dealing with these people. We’ve tried reporting and blocking them, but they just keep popping up and won’t go away. ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ”) .
Another fan drew a comparison to highlight the unfairness of the demand:
“I don’t think indonesian armys are at fault for that??? The US media has been racist towards them for years and i don’t see people asking them to no tour there” .
Official Plans for the Jakarta Concert Continue
Despite the online noise, preparations and hopes for the BTS Jakarta concert remain on track. The Indonesian promoter, iMe Indonesia, has confirmed their role in handling the event, though specific details about the venue and ticket sales are still pending announcement .
Adding to the positive local sentiment, the Governor of Jakarta, Pramono Anung Wibowo, has expressed his strong desire to host the concert at the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) . He sees it as a major event for the city.
“Saya berharap mudah-mudahan konser BTS tanggal 26-27 Desember ada di JIS. Namanya juga harapan gubernur, nggak apa-apa juga dong,” said Pramono (Translation: “I hope that the BTS concert on December 26-27 will be at JIS. It’s the governor’s hope, so it’s okay, right?”) .
He also mentioned ongoing infrastructure improvements to integrate JIS with the Ancol area and public transportation like the KRL commuter line to make it easier for concertgoers to attend .
The Jakarta shows are part of a larger Asian leg that also includes stops in Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore before BTS arrives in Indonesia . As of now, HYBE and BigHit Music have not issued any official statements regarding changes to the Jakarta concert schedule .
Also Read: BTS WORLD TOUR 2026: Full List of Countries and Cities Announced
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