Malaysian influencer Ryan Loh has sparked discussion online after sharing that he allegedly experienced noticeably different treatment while travelling in South Korea depending on the language he spoke and whether people knew he was Malaysian.
In a Threads post, Ryan said he felt “looked down on” at times during his trip, especially when he spoke Mandarin with his friends.
According to him, staff at convenience stores, restaurants and other places would sometimes appear colder or less friendly once they heard him speaking Chinese.
Says attitude changed after showing Malaysian passport
Ryan said the reaction would sometimes change when he switched to English.
He also claimed that when shopping and showing his Malaysian passport, the tone and attitude of some staff would become noticeably warmer and friendlier.
The experience left him wondering whether assumptions about his nationality or the language he was speaking were affecting how he was treated.
However, Ryan stressed that he could not say with certainty that every incident was discriminatory, as he did not know what the other person was thinking.
‘Similar things happened several times’
Ryan said the experience stood out because similar situations allegedly happened more than once during the trip.
He added that he could not exactly stop strangers and explain that he was Malaysian every time someone made an assumption about him.
Despite the unpleasant moments, he clarified that the experience did not mean he disliked South Korea.
Ryan said the country was still beautiful, that he had made many good memories there and had also met plenty of friendly people.
I also met many friendly Koreans during the trip, so I’m just sharing my personal experiences and not generalising about everyone,” he said when contacted by WeirdKaya.
His main takeaway was that a person’s appearance, the language they speak and where others assume they are from can sometimes influence how they are treated.
Incidents mainly happened in Seoul
Speaking to WeirdKaya, Ryan said the incidents mainly happened in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, particularly while he was shopping.
He said he noticed the behaviour a few times, although he did not keep track of the exact number.
Some staff seemed cold or impatient, especially when my friend and I were speaking Mandarin.”
Ryan said he noticed a change in some staff members once they realised he and his friend were Malaysian.
When we showed our Malaysian passports for tax refunds, some became noticeably friendlier and more patient.”
He also recalled facing a QR payment issue during the trip, where he said he ended up being charged twice without receiving a refund for the first payment.
Still, Ryan stressed that he could not confirm whether the treatment was actually linked to his nationality or language.
Netizens share mixed experiences
Ryan’s post drew responses from other users, including one Korean commenter who apologised for his experience.
The commenter agreed that a person’s appearance or language should not affect how they are treated and thanked Ryan for still remembering the positive parts of Korea.
Another user said they had travelled in Busan without facing similar issues and found people there friendly.
Others, however, said they had also tried to avoid speaking Mandarin while in Korea, with some attributing this to existing negative sentiment towards tourists from certain countries.
Ryan later reminded commenters to keep the discussion rational, saying he did not make the post to start a fight.
I hope the world can have a little less prejudice. World peace ❤️”
He said the experience did not ruin his trip, but it did make him more aware of how quickly people can form assumptions based on language, appearance and perceived nationality.