Allegations of racial discrimination against Korean stars continue to emerge, even after previous incidents fade from memory. This time, Ha Ye-rin, who is gaining recognition as a global star, is the focus.
Recently, Luke Thompson, Ha Ye-rin, and Hannah Dodd, leads of “Bridgerton” Season 4, visited Spain for a promotional tour.
However, promotional photos released by Netflix raised questions. Instead of featuring Ha Ye-rin and Luke Thompson, the season’s main characters, Hannah Dodd, who portrays Francesca Bridgerton (Benedict Bridgerton’s sister, played by Luke Thompson), appeared to receive more prominence.
Furthermore, despite being a lead, Ha Ye-rin reportedly found herself positioned at the end of the line during fan events, and local media interviews mistakenly cited her name. The lack of photos featuring her with Luke Thompson in local magazine shoots also drew criticism from fans.
This prompted netizens to comment, “Where is the main couple? It looks like Benedict and Francesca are dating,” and “I don’t understand why this is happening.”
The incident also brought renewed attention to past instances of alleged racial discrimination against other Korean stars.
Actor Jung Hae-in attended an event hosted by Italian luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana in Milan last month.
Photos from inside the event showed Jung Hae-in appearing uncomfortable, seated between Benson and Kerem Bürsin, who were notably sitting with their legs spread wide. GQ further fueled the racial discrimination controversy by omitting a tag for Jung Hae-in’s social media account on their official platform.
BLACKPINK’s Rosé has also been a prominent figure in discussions about racial discrimination.
Last year, Rosé attended the Saint Laurent 2026 Spring Summer Women’s Collection Show in Paris as a brand ambassador.
However, Elle UK faced backlash for cropping Rosé out of a group photo that included Hailey Bieber, Zoë Kravitz, and Charli XCX. Other publications, such as Vogue, published the complete photo, which fueled suspicions of racial discrimination.
Furthermore, Charli XCX posted a group photo where Rosé appeared shadowed, and Hailey Bieber shared it on her story, further escalating the controversy.
Rosé, notably the only Saint Laurent global ambassador in the group photo, garnered worldwide criticism. This prompted an apology from Elle UK, which attributed the edit to photo size issues and subsequently published a solo photo of her.
Despite this, some interpreted the situation as a power struggle, especially after a photo shared by Madonna revealed Rosé positioned prominently in the center, ultimately compelling Elle UK to issue an official apology statement.
While global interest in K-culture continues to surge with the immense popularity of K-pop and shows like “Squid Game” and “K-pop Demon Hunters,” stars central to this phenomenon still encounter racial discrimination, which elicits widespread concern and sympathy.
Image source: Paramount+, XportsnewsDB, Netflix Spain official account, Netflix France, GQ, Vogue
