Son Heung-min of the Korean men's national football team answers questions during a press conference at Goyang Sports Complex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, March 19, a day before their 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier match against Oman. Son recently faced online criticism over his lack of donations to wildfire relief efforts, but it was later revealed that he donated 200 million won, sparking debate about pressuring public figures for charitable contributions. Yonhap

The outpouring of support from celebrities here for wildfire relief efforts has been overshadowed by intense online criticism, where public figures are being judged based on their donation amounts, with netizens deeming some as insufficient.

Controversy erupted as online communities began compiling lists of celebrities who had donated to relief efforts, ranking them by amount of contribution.

This quickly led to backlash, as it led to a wave of criticism directed at those who had donated smaller amounts, or had not yet made any public contributions.

Fueled by dry conditions and strong winds, wildfires rapidly spread across the southeastern part of Korea starting March 14, scorching over 48,000 hectares of forest and marking the nation's most extensive wildfire disaster in history.

Amid all this, Bbaek Ga, a member of K-pop band Koyote, revealed that he was deeply hurt by online comments criticizing the group's 30-million won ($20,442) donation at a radio show on Friday.

"We decided to donate after seeing the helicopters carrying water during our performance at an outdoor stage. As soon as we got off the stage, we decided to donate as we have received a lot from performing so far," Bbaek Ga said.

"However, after our donation, I saw comments saying, 'You guys only donated that much?' It really hurt."

Bbaek Ga's remarks underscore the growing trend of online users pressuring celebrities for donations, with some even criticizing the amount of money celebrities choose to give.

The pressure to donate also extended to other high-profile figures, including Tottenham Hotspur player Son Heung-min, who faced a barrage of online criticism for allegedly not donating, despite his substantial income. Some netizens even created lists of high-income earners, demanding to know why they hadn't donated.

However, it was later revealed that the Korean football star had made a 200-million won donation, although he chose not to publicize it.

The online backlash has since led to a heated debate about whether it is appropriate to publicly shame celebrities. Many argued that donations should be a personal choice and that celebrities should not be pressured into giving, while others maintained that public figures have a responsibility to use their wealth and influence to support those in need.

YouTuber CharlesEnter, with over 700,000 subscribers, announced her donation on Instagram, saying, "I didn't want to publicize it, but people kept asking if I donated." This also shows the uncomfortable position celebrities are placed in, where their charitable acts are scrutinized and judged by the public.

As the controversy surrounding pressure to donate escalated, some netizens began to emphasize the importance of autonomy.

"Donations should be a voluntary choice, not a forced one" and "Those who donate should be praised, while those who don't shouldn't be criticized" were among the many responses highlighting the need for personal choice in charitable giving.