Instant ramyeon with a side dish of Ferrari? The ‘Poverty Challenge’ sparks online outrage.

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Instant ramyeon with a side dish of Ferrari? The ‘Poverty Challenge’ sparks online outrage.

Published: 27 Dec. 2025, 17:02 Updated: 28 Dec. 2025, 19:55

SARAH CHEA
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Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

An online post shows a user claiming to be poor while eating instant ramen and kimbap, but posing with a Ferrari car key. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A so-called “poverty challenge” circulating on social media has drawn criticism for trivializing economic hardship, as users post pictures flaunting their wealth while claiming to suffer from terrible poverty.

These posts, often shared as memes, juxtapose images of financial comfort with captions that highlight supposed financial struggle.

On platforms such as Instagram and X, photos have emerged showing cheap meals like kimbap rice rolls or instant ramyeon served in first- or business-class airplane seats, luxury car smart keys or high-end fashion purchases, accompanied by ironic captions such as “terrible poverty” or “can’t even afford gas for commuting.”

Some posts depict spacious apartments adorned with expensive artwork, with captions reading “this is all I have.”

While the posts adopt a self-deprecating tone, they effectively serve as veiled displays of wealth. Online reactions have been critical, with comments questioning whether poverty can ever be a source of humor or trend, such as “If they were just showing off wealth, it might spark envy, but this is unsettling,” and “No trend should cross this line.”

Online posts show users claiming to be in extreme poverty while driving a Porsche or eating ramen in business-class airplane seats. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Critics argue that the real-life struggles and the social context of poverty are erased, leaving only the word “poverty” as a consumable motif.

Singer and actor Kim Dong-wan publicly raised concerns about the trend on his social media account, saying that they intend to use deprivation as a prop, rather than a self-deprecating joke.

"Poverty is not an emotion to be joked about," the post read. "There are words and depictions that should never be used, even for laughs. There are still university students deciding whether they can even buy a single triangle gimbap [seaweed rice roll] because they have no money.”

Responding to supportive comments, Kim shared, “I also lived a long time with my single mother in a semi-basement apartment. The word ‘poverty’ always hits close to home.” The posts he referenced have since been deleted.

Experts warn that the repeated circulation of content mocking poverty reflects a declining social sensitivity toward economic hardship. Similar to previous controversies, such as the “beggar’s room” trend, these portrayals, regardless of intent, risk turning real hardship into entertainment, potentially harming those who are genuinely struggling.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]