Two months ago, South Korean DJ, DJ SODA (Hwang So-hee, 황소희) was left traumatised after fans groped her chest while she was performing at a music festival in Japan. Since then, the 35-year-old has been fighting an uphill battle with netizens after speaking out about the issue.
Many have been victim blaming DJ Soda for the incident, with several Japanese netizens escalating the situation and claiming she “hated Japan”. In fact, her latest trip to the Land of the Rising Sun upset many, especially after they saw what she was wearing.
Just last month, DJ Soda made another trip to Japan, allegedly for a fun holiday. However, Japanese netizens made it clear that they weren’t happy with her presence there. Things got more heated when she openly wore a white tank top to a convenience store with the words: “No Sexual Service” printed on it.
DJ Soda made no mention of the sexual harassment incident in her posts, yet many apparently assumed the words on her tank top and the way she was dressed was a subtle dig at the issue. Needless to say, many were unashamed to express their scorn about it.
“Why are you going out dressed (in) underwear when you’re in Japan?” one asked scathingly. Another told her: “Seriously, please don’t come to Japan anymore. If something else happens like this, are you going to go crying home (while) making money? Absolutely disgusting (in) both fashion and behaviour.”
Others also reprimanded the DJ for recording a video in the convenience store, with several claiming it was against Japan’s law. A few more scolded her for “throwing unsold products” into her basket, with most chiming the same thing: “Don’t come to Japan.”
DJ Soda has attempted to make it clear that her speaking out was focused on the sexual harassment incident and not the country. “As I’ve said before, my love for Japan has not changed despite the incident, and I plan to continue visiting Japan often,” she reportedly said. But, many are insistent she is lying about the incident, going as far as to claim she was making it up for the attention.
While some fans are still cheering her on in her comments section, most of DJ Soda’s posts about Japan have been flooded with people criticising her for her bold clothing choice and telling her to leave Japan if she dislikes it so much.
The DJ has not addressed the mounting animosity against her, however, she seems to be having fun touring the globe right now. It remains to be seen if she will be able to smooth over relationships with Japanese netizens, or if the harassment will continue.
Video here:
Sources: Instagram, Oriental Daily, Yahoo! Japan
