HUNDREDS of Carats, the official fandom of South Korean boy group Seventeen, flocked to Sunway Pyramid yesterday to catch a glimpse of member Mingyu at a Snickers Malaysia pop-up event but the excitement was quickly overshadowed by backlash over crowd management and influencer access.
The appearance by the K-pop star set social media abuzz, with the hashtag #SNICKERSwithMINGYU trending on X (formerly Twitter).
However, many fans voiced frustration over what they described as unfair treatment of long-time queuers in favour of invited influencers.
Some fans claimed they had queued from as early as midnight to secure a good spot, only to be pushed behind influencers who arrived shortly before the event.
“Give some respect to CARAT pls,” wrote user @Bling1230Tae. “People waited from midnight with no sleep, and those who came five minutes before got in just like that. It’s CRAZY.”
User @bbimbimbapp added:“Imagine fans spending thousands, queueing from the parking lot, only for influencers to get the front spots.”
Others criticised the event layout, saying it made it difficult to view the stage from most angles.
“Carats queued since 3am. They came late and still got to sit in front,” said @rainalee_30.
“The layout was terrible. Most of it was blocked off — you could only see from a corner if you were downstairs.”
While some defended the use of influencers as a standard marketing tactic, others questioned the decision to seat them in prime spots over contest winners and fans.
“Isn’t it normal to have KOLs for marketing purposes?” asked @aritaylli. “They’re paid to make content so Snickers gets publicity.”
“But still, whether you’re a hardcore CARAT or just casually like K-pop, shouldn’t everyone get fair access?” added @iam_ein.
Others were more critical:“Let them mingle with the fans in the middle. Not one of them is even that known. Who are they influencing at this point?” said @linana9742.
“Normalise not inviting influencers to K-pop events for free,” wrote @yb_yoonified. “It’s the fans who stream, spend, and support the idols — not influencers.”
As of now, Snickers Malaysia has not released an official statement. However, the strong online reaction underscores the need for better planning and fan engagement, especially at events involving passionate communities like K-pop fandoms.
