Fans have always looked forward to their favourite K-pop idols doing a fan-meet or concert in Malaysia. Korean-American singer-songwriter Eric Nam (에릭남) just announced that he’ll be going on tour next year with Malaysia being one of the countries listed for the concert.
This kind of announcement would normally excite fans. However, many Malaysian netizens expressed that they disapprove of the artist stepping foot in the country. Here’s why:
Last month, Eric Nam released his third English album “House On A Hill” and earlier today (Monday, 16th October), he posted on his social media to announce that he’ll be going on a concert tour around Southeast Asia to promote the album and Malaysia is one of the countries he’ll be performing in. The soloist is set to perform at Zepp KL on 20th February next year.
While some local fans on Instagram seemed excited about the news, those on Twitter were not so happy. Many netizens called the 34-year-old out for “liking” an Instagram post that showed support for Israel. In the original post by Jordan C. Brown-Underwood (American TV star Colton Underwood’s husband), it was suggested that it’s possible for one to oppose Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians while simultaneously showing support for the protection of Israeli citizens.
As seen in the screenshot below, Eric was one of the celebs who Liked the post, indicating that he’s staying “neutral” regarding the war. This did not sit well with Malaysian fans who have expressed disappointment in the DIVE podcast host as many commented that they will no longer be supporting him.
Shortly after sharing the announcement, both Hallyu Pop and Malaysian Kpop Fans Twitter pages deleted the concert post with the latter thanking netizens for informing them of the situation along with the hashtag #FreePalestine. So far, neither Zepp KL nor Eric released a statement regarding the backlash the latter is facing after announcing his concert at the famous venue.
Will the organiser consider cancelling the upcoming concert? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
