Despite Weverse's efforts to flag and restrict harmful messages, fans say the problem persists

K-pop idols interacting with fans on Weverse, a global fandom platform operated by Hybe, continue to face baseless hate comments and criticism despite concerns repeatedly raised by fans who consider such comments to be violations of artists’ human rights. Weverse’s existing reporting and moderation systems appear insufficient to prevent such incidents.
On Jan. 8, aespa's Winter became the target of hate comments while communicating with fans on Weverse. One user repeatedly posted malicious remarks such as, "Why aren't you dead yet?" accompanied by cigarette emojis. Winter responded, "Smoking is bad for your health," adding a heart emoji. When the user insulted her appearance, calling her “dog-faced,” she replied, "puppy-faced."
Although Winter appears to have handled the situation well, fans expressed concern about the emotional scars she might have suffered.
Instead of Weverse addressing the issue directly, aespa’s agency, SM Entertainment, announced that it would collect malicious comments comprehensively and proceed with legal action.
This is not the first time Hybe’s platform has been criticized for its inability to effectively combat cyberbullying.
In January 2023, during a live broadcast hosted by fromis_9’s Lee Chae-young, a malicious user spammed the chat with hate remarks targeting fellow member Baek Ji-heon and her parents. Disturbed by the comments, Chae-young abruptly ended the broadcast, citing the late hour. The incident prompted an outcry from fromis_9’s fan group, Flover, which criticized Weverse for failing to address the toxic environment.
“Instead of enduring this any longer, we feel the need to speak out to ensure this doesn’t continue. We don’t want to see the members’ faces darken as they encounter such hate comments,” Flover said. According to fans, such incidents had been ongoing for over a year.
Similarly, in September 2022, YooA of Oh My Girl received hate remarks while interacting with fans on Weverse. Instead of ignoring the comments, YooA shot back, sarcastically saying, “Writing hate comments like that really takes effort. You deserve applause. Let’s give them a round of applause -- stay strong!”
Weverse has outlined its efforts to maintain a safe community, claiming that harmful messages are flagged and violators face restrictions.

“Users who violate these guidelines can have their activities reported, and flagged content is subject to restrictions through our platform’s algorithm, including limiting post visibility, posting privileges and community access,” Weverse said on Jan. 24. “Repeat offenders may face permanent suspension.”
The platform also highlighted the use of Cleanbot, an AI tool developed in collaboration with Naver, to detect and remove malicious comments. Additionally, messages sent to artists through Weverse DM are monitored by operators and automated detection technologies.
Fans argue that the problems persist despite such measures.
“Hate comments attacking idols have always existed. There's no effective tool to prevent cyberbullying targeting artists,” a K-pop fan active on Weverse said on condition of anonymity. “One artist recently posted screenshots of malicious comments to openly criticize the platform’s failure.”
Some fans have resorted to countering hate comments in their own way.
“When hate comments appear, we flood the chat with positive posts to push the malicious comments out of view so the artist doesn’t see them,” the fan explained. “This is by far the most effective countermeasure.”