A post claiming to have seen singer IU by chance in Shanghai, China, has gone viral online, only to be flooded with malicious comments falsely portraying the Korean star as Chinese.
A netizen recently shared a short video on their personal account along with the caption, “I actually met IU on Nanjing East Road in Shanghai. I thought, ‘No way that’s IU,’ but it really was her. It was such a movie-like coincidence. I never imagined something like this would happen in Shanghai.”
The video captures the moment the netizen encountered IU on a street in Shanghai’s Nanjing East Road. On the day, IU was wearing a burgundy baseball cap, a gray knit top and denim shorts, completing her casual look with a shoulder bag and burgundy-colored shoes. As she appeared, a crowd quickly gathered around her, and IU waved to greet the fans. The unexpected sighting prompted an outpouring of comments. Some people were surprised by her petite frame, with one writing that she was “even tinier than I expected,” while others expressed concern about her health, saying she looked very thin and hoping that she was eating well and taking care of herself.
However, the post also attracted a wave of malicious comments targeting IU. Some bizarre rumors falsely claimed that IU is “Chinese” or an “agent of Chinese capital.” Treating these baseless claims as fact, some commenters wrote things such as, “Welcome home,” “Welcome back to your hometown,” “You’re not even hiding it anymore,” “China’s proud woman,” and “Even her claim about being sick sounds like a lie. Try suing the people in these comments too.” Others questioned whether IU was Chinese, claimed that she spoke Cantonese like a native speaker, and criticized her for visiting China at this particular time.
Although IU’s trip to China appears to have been related to her schedule, some users bizarrely spread the rumor that she had returned to her “home country” because she was Chinese and wanted to take a break. Another netizen criticized the comments, writing that the level of political obsession was frightening and questioning what these people hoped to gain from leaving such remarks.
IU has recently maintained a firm stance against malicious comments and false rumors, including seeking assistance from a U.S. court to obtain information identifying anonymous individuals behind some of the allegations. Her legal action has also produced concrete results. In 2024, IU won a damages ruling of 30 million won after a court recognized defamation in a case involving a commenter who had raised plagiarism allegations against her. Last year, her side filed criminal complaints and civil lawsuits against 96 individuals accused of posting malicious comments. The cases resulted in seven fines, one order to complete a sexual violence treatment program, three decisions of suspended indictment conditional on completing educational programs, and one suspended prison sentence accompanied by protective supervision.
Sources: Nate
