A recent Pann post titled “SWF Shouldn’t Continue Anymore” has ignited fierce debate in the K-pop community, taking aim at the growing toxicity surrounding Mnet’s World Street Woman Fighter and the treatment of foreign contestants—particularly Japanese dancer RIEHATA.
The anonymous original poster (OP) voiced frustration over what they described as a “toxic cycle” of fan behavior and double standards in how foreign and Korean dancers are judged. The post began sharply with: “Ugly Koreans, seriously… lol. Whenever a Korean dancer gets treated a little negatively, fans rally and attack the foreign teams. First Tokyo, now other crews just because they didn’t clap during a battle? It’s ridiculous.”
The OP defended RIEHATA, leader of RH TOKYO, who has been the target of harsh online criticism in recent episodes. “Did RIEHATA even do anything wrong? She’s the main dancer—it’s her job to lead and position her crew however she wants. It’s a competition.” They also contrasted her leadership with that of Honey J, a Korean team leader perceived as passive, questioning why RIEHATA faced more intense backlash.
Even more troubling, the OP claimed that RIEHATA had become the subject of Instagram hate raids, and rumors suggested she skipped an outdoor event fearing it would affect the show’s production. “This is just embarrassing for us as a country,” they lamented. “This isn’t criticism anymore—it’s obsession.”
The post rapidly spread across forums and social media, prompting a flood of responses debating key issues:
- I was shocked when I saw Gabee getting cursed at by foreigners and terrorized on Instagram just because she won the battle. Can we stop using terms like “ugly Korean”? Foreigners are just the same. Not saying I support the hate toward RIEHATA though.
- I find people like this even more ridiculous. They seem completely drunk on the idea that they’re being “objective.” When foreigners terrorize and curse at Honey J or Gabee, they don’t care at all, but when Koreans do it, they go absolutely nuts. (Not that I’m defending hateful comments.) Foreigners are just the same — people are people everywhere. In the beginning of BUMSUP team, when Koreans criticized them, they got even more hate from our own people. In fact, RIEHATA was praised for being good. It’s just that in the final leader mission, when Honey J and RIEHATA made it to the finals, RIEHATA directly called out Honey J, saying she was lacking in both language and dance skills, and picked her as the “worst.” She even said the Korean team wasn’t up to the level of the show. That’s why Koreans are angry. If RIEHATA said that kind of thing to another team, the people from that country would be upset too and criticize her, just like how foreigners are now attacking Gabee. So enough with the whole “ugly Korean” nonsense.
- Agreed, lol. But the MOTIV leader seriously crossed the line by uploading that Instagram Story mocking Honey J. On top of that, she stopped her team member from cheering for BUMSUP — that deserves some hate, honestly.
- People don’t get this mad when Korean dancers are being insulted. Guess they’re low-class and obsessed with how foreigners and “J*ps” see us. Pathetic.
- They must not remember when Korean dancers were insulted and mocked.
As Street Woman Fighter continues airing, the drama around RIEHATA underscores a deeper issue: the often-blurred lines between entertainment, nationalism, and online mob mentality. For many viewers, the show is no longer just a dance competition—it’s a mirror reflecting fandom behavior, media responsibility, and Korea’s evolving cultural conversations.
