Hi. A Japanese here checking in to say we don't all hate you, honestly. Korean stuff *is* actually very popular. But you are right that this is a developing problem. Like people above are saying, most of the anti-Korean stuff comes from a very small minority of right-wing racists who should just be ignored, but there is a danger that their thinking can spill into the mainstream. They always frame the issue as an "us VS them" thing, and young people in particular are receptive to that (e.g. about how TV supposedly prioritises Kim Yuna over Asada Mao etc). Kids generally don't like to be told what to like. It could become "cool" to hate Korea or something. But I think chances of that are slim since the current situation is really just a kick-back response to hanryu being so overpoweringly popular. Sort of like Justin Beiber in the US.
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But you are right that this is a developing problem. Like people above are saying, most of the anti-Korean stuff comes from a very small minority of right-wing racists who should just be ignored, but there is a danger that their thinking can spill into the mainstream. They always frame the issue as an "us VS them" thing, and young people in particular are receptive to that (e.g. about how TV supposedly prioritises Kim Yuna over Asada Mao etc). Kids generally don't like to be told what to like. It could become "cool" to hate Korea or something. But I think chances of that are slim since the current situation is really just a kick-back response to hanryu being so overpoweringly popular. Sort of like Justin Beiber in the US.