Japanese singer Vaundy drew criticism from Korean fans after remarks about his recent concert in Korea circulated online.
In a clip shared in the post, Vaundy said, “Korea was energetic,” before adding that he felt there was still something “worth nurturing” or continuing to develop further. The Japanese phrase he used, 育てる甲斐がある, carries the sense that something is worth the effort of cultivating or developing, rather than simply saying it has “value.”
His wording prompted a strong reaction, where some users interpreted the comment as implying that Korea’s concert culture, fanbase, or his own position in the Korean market still needed to be “developed.” Others questioned whether that interpretation was fair, noting that the exact object Vaundy was referring to was not clearly stated in the quoted remarks.
The original post also shared clips from his Sunday concert showing Korean fans singing along and noted that some social media users had described the concert atmosphere positively.
Netizen Reactions
The sampled comments were largely critical, with many users interpreting Vaundy’s phrasing as condescending, while a few focused on what the Japanese expression actually meant or questioned exactly what he intended to “develop.”
1. He was the one encouraging the sing-along, so I don’t know what he’s unhappy about. Apparently the phone flashlights were only really bad on Saturday, and Sunday was fine.. There were even fans walking around with signs saying, “Please don’t use phone flashlights,” while telling people directly, and major fan accounts added warnings not to turn on flashlights to their sing-along guides and posted reminders. Shouldn’t that effort be acknowledged too? Policing that kind of thing should be handled among fans or by the organizers, not something the artist needs to bring up...
2. Even idol singers sometimes go there and come back saying all kinds of things like, “As expected, Japan is great~” or talking about the bathrooms and whatever ㅋㅋ In idols’ cases, sometimes they’re also trying to reassure their fans back home.
3. Wasn’t he known for being anti-Korean?
4. What is he even talking about... Wasn’t the concert at Inspire Arena? What exactly are you dissatisfied with;; Ah, does he mean he wants to fix the fans’ manners?.. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
5. Does he mean the venue size didn’t match his status..? People were getting insanely hyped over this Korea visit, but are Japan-obsessed people’s standards always this low?
6. That typical Japanese “uekara-mesen” attitude ^^
7. Uekara-mesen ㅋㅋ They’re treating us like pushovers.
8. Is there something he was dissatisfied with? Why does he talk like that and then trail off? That kind of way of speaking is so irritating. And I guess the fans are going, “Let’s work even harder together next time he comes back,” again.
9. What exactly is the nuance of saying he wants to “grow” it? Does he mean his own standing in Korea?
10. Doesn’t 甲斐 mean something more like “worth the effort” or “rewarding,” rather than simply “value”? Like saying it would be worth continuing to build it up? Anyway, if you don’t like it, then don’t come...
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