From left, Stray Kids members Bangchan, Han, Felix, Seungmin, Hyunjin, I.N, Lee Know and Changbin pose at the 2024 Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City, Monday. AFP-Yonhap

K-pop band Stray Kids encountered discrimination and derogatory treatment from photographers at the Met Gala, shedding light on deeper issues of racism at one of America's largest fashion events.

The eight-piece act graced the red carpet of the 2024 Met Gala at the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art, Monday, serving as global ambassadors for the fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger.

Footage from the event surfaced online, revealing interactions between Stray Kids and certain photographers. In the video, photographers could be heard directing the group with comments like "Stand straight," "You all look crooked," and "Move back."

Tensions escalated when photographers began mocking the members' expressions and making overtly discriminatory remarks. One photographer criticized the group, saying, "I've never seen so many unemotional faces in my life," while others made rude comments such as, "Looks like they're going to start performing," and "Everybody jump."

The disrespectful atmosphere intensified when one photographer shouted "arigato" (thanks in Japanese), mistakenly using Japanese with a Korean group, further contributing to the disrespectful tone of the interactions.

In the video, Stray Kids' leader Bangchan is seen clapping his hands to guide the group off the carpet following the disrespectful remarks. Both Bangchan and fellow member Felix are Australian, with English being their native language.

Members of Stray Kids pose for the 2024 Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City, Monday. AFP-Yonhap

The incident sparked immediate backlash online, with many condemning the racist undertones and the photographers' disrespectful demands on the group. Comments like "The racism was so loud," "The boys deserved better," and "No other American celebrity gets disrespected like this when they pose with their straight serious model face" reflected the outrage and support for Stray Kids.

Comparisons were drawn to previous racist encounters experienced by other K-pop groups, including BTS, underscoring a recurring issue with how K-pop artists are treated by the international media.

"I don't follow Stray Kids, but I'm taken aback by the paparazzi behavior I've seen toward BTS. The same racism. The same mockery. The same demands that they 'perform' like circus animals ...," a user commented on X, formerly Twitter.

Amid the controversy, Stray Kids is gearing up for the release ofa digital single titled "Lose My Breath," in collaboration with American pop star Charlie Puth, scheduled for Friday.

The group is also preparing for a new album slated for July 19, after an eight-month hiatus.