PETALING JAYA, July 26 -- Malaysian Olympic swimmer Welson Sim Wee Sheng set hearts fluttering on social media after his brief TV appearance at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday.

Sim, 24, was filmed walking with the Malaysian contingent at the Japan National Stadium clad in a Hang Tuah-inspired costume and a face mask.

Despite appearing in a close-up shot for just three seconds, Sim's boyish good looks won over Malaysians who took to Twitter to share screenshots of the dashing athlete.

Several users gushed over his "handsome" visage, with many saying he was attractive enough to rival Korean celebrity heartthrobs.

Twitter user @scrltbbh even compared Sim to K-pop idol D.O. from the boyband Exo.

Sim's popularity also...