Southeast Asian Netizen Bashes Korean Visuals, Sparks Major Backlash

Recently, a video clip has gone viral, sparking controversy over why Korea has never won a beauty pageant, despite being a country known for its high beauty standards.

The video clip was posted in response to a message about the image of Korea.

우리더러 원숭이라면서, 그쪽 나라는 그렇게 잘난 비주얼로 왜 미인 대회 우승 한 번을 못 해요? pic.twitter.com/4iHRE5JubF

— balabalagehu1000 (@Najmikhairunni2) February 17, 2026

I think Korea’s image is kind of known for doing a lot of plastic surgery. One time, an Australian asked me, ‘You guys do a lot of plastic surgery,’ and I answered, ‘Yeah, but you guys don’t seem to do a lot. Why is that?’

To this, a netizen posted a video clip revealing other Asian countries winning in beauty pageants, while Korea won none.

You guys call us monkeys, but why haven’t you guys won a beauty pageant even once, with your visuals?

To this, K-Netizens defended Korean women, revealing that they were busy with more important things.

미안한데
최근에 한국 여자들은
노벨상 따고, 그래미상 타고, 올림픽 금메달 따고, 오스카상 타느라 바빴음

구시대적 여성 미모 대회 너희같은 빈국들이나 관심있지…….
한국에선 그 대회 아무도 관심 없어 😂 https://t.co/YtzEuVf83c pic.twitter.com/QkQIUupZLM

— 어쩌라고 (@kokik09) February 18, 2026

I’m sorry, but Korean women have been busy winning the Nobel Prize, the Grammys, Olympic gold medals, and the Oscars. Only poor countries are interested in old-fashioned beauty contests. In Korea, no one cares about those pageants.

Netizens also agreed that they were behind on the times, using beauty pageants as a way to criticize them.

• “Their mindset is 50 years behind, so there’s no use in fighting.”
• “Korea has won the beauty pageant before, though?”
• “They sound so stupid.”
• “They must not have received any education to say something like that.”
• “The word beauty pageant itself is so old-fashioned.”
• “Beauty pageant? From when?”
• “Didn’t even know beauty pageants existed…”
• “That’s why they look so dumb…”
• “They’re just proving that they are more stupid than monkeys…”