Kwon Hyuk Soo, a cast member of "SNL Korea," is facing backlash for a number of controversial Instagram Stories he shared at Dua Lipa's Seoul concert on December 4.
The pop icon played her two-night concert on Thursday night as martial law in South Korea was declared and then remarkably rescinded after claims by President Yoon Suk Yeol that the nation was on the brink of war were made in an earlier address.
While she wowed fans with her show, Kwon posted several updates that were considered disrespectful by many.
In one of the Stories, he called the artist "Ratatouille."
He wrote in another post, "Stay still, Mapo Tofu. Let oppa take some pictures of you," using the informal term "oppa," which is a word often used by a female to address an older male casually.
Many fans took Kwon's comments well, but the majority did not.
On the online community forum theqoo, he was derided for the way he had behaved, with users venting anger and saying he didn't respect everyone as a human being.
One user wrote, "The whole oppa comment is the worst part." Another added, "How dare he?"
Here's what other Korean netizens are saying in the online community forum theqoo:
Kwon has been silent on the intensifying backlash, which has ignited discourse regarding the limits of comedy when it comes to celebrity encounters.
Elsewhere on the road, last week's concert from Dua Lipa was noted as much for the performance as it was for the political unrest in South Korea in the days leading up to the show.
Still, the performance was a tour-de-force that left a lot of fans spellbound.