DJ Soda is facing a wave of criticism after posting videos of herself walking through the streets of Taipei as Typhoon Champi battered Taiwan, with viewers accusing her of turning a deadly storm into lighthearted content.
According to MHN Sports, DJ Soda shared a video on October 25 with the caption that the Taiwan typhoon was truly frightening. The clip opens on a sunny Taipei street, where she strolls along drinking a beverage under the on-screen caption “Taiwan weather: expectation vs reality.” The scene then cuts to driving wind and rain, with DJ Soda struggling to hold an umbrella that flips inside out and breaks, its ribs and wires snapping until it no longer works. Even as she struggles to stay on her feet, she keeps filming.
A second clip drew further scrutiny. In that video, DJ Soda said she had briefly gone out to buy emergency food supplies, but instead of sheltering indoors she kept filming at an open intersection exposed to the wind and rain. Coverage by ChosunBiz noted that she was wearing only a thin oversized short-sleeve T-shirt and shorts, without even minimal protective gear such as a raincoat or windbreaker, while street trees and utility poles were toppling around her.
The backlash has centered on two complaints: safety and tone. Viewers argued that walking the streets in high winds endangered not only DJ Soda herself but also people nearby, since debris carried by the wind, or a broken umbrella with sharp metal ribs protruding, could have injured pedestrians, damaged vehicles, or struck power lines. Commenters quoted in the coverage wrote that it is better not to go outside during a typhoon, that a raincoat is safer than an umbrella in such conditions, and that there is a risk of eye injury from broken umbrella ribs.
The editing of the clips also fueled the debate. MHN Sports reported that dramatic background music was added over the footage of the umbrella flipping, and that DJ Soda could be seen screaming while also laughing, an impression critics said made a serious disaster look like something to laugh off. ChosunBiz similarly reported that critics felt she appeared to relish the moment, laughing loudly as she lost her balance, and that the presentation showed a lack of consideration for victims.
The scale of the storm is central to why the videos struck a nerve. Typhoon Champi, the season’s 30th typhoon, brushed past Taiwan’s northeastern coast on October 24 before weakening and moving north toward the eastern coast of China and the southern waters of Japan, according to Star News Korea. Taiwanese authorities cited in the MHN Sports report said one person died, 527 people were injured, and around 5,000 residents were evacuated, while Taipei and other areas saw fallen trees and utility poles and power outages.
The contrast with how other performers handled the same storm has become part of the conversation. As Champi approached, K-pop acts with scheduled Taiwan dates chose to stand down: PLAVE and Jessica postponed Taipei concerts and the 2026 Hualien K-pop Original Sound Festival was also postponed, with nearly 1,000 flights canceled and schools and offices closed across 20 local governments on October 23. Against that backdrop, critics argued, filming a typhoon stunt for content rather than sheltering sent the wrong message at the wrong moment.
The episode also fits a wider debate about influencer content during disasters, where footage shot for engagement can collide with public safety advice to stay indoors. Typhoon coverage in Taiwan repeatedly warned residents against going outside, and the criticism of DJ Soda has largely echoed that official guidance rather than focusing on her celebrity alone. As of publication, no response from DJ Soda to the criticism had been reported in the coverage, and it remains to be seen whether she addresses the backlash or removes the clips.
