X Factor victor Dami Im wants to bridge cultural gap and calms racism row 2013 X Factor winner, Dami Im. Photographed in Surry Hills. DAMI Im wants to bridge the cultural divide for new Aussies and has embraced her pioneering role as our first K-pop princess. The South Korean-born singing sensation spent her first day as the new X Factor winner playing diplomat and calming her `Dami Army' of fans who took down a racist Twitter attack on their TV queen. The reigning X Factor champion, the South Korean-born singing sensation was playing diplomat and calming her 'Dami Army' of fans who took down a racist Twitter attack on their TV queen. Im said she was "so thankful" and "humbled" by those who shouted down the social media trolls who tweeted, among other insults: "it's not Australian X Factor if an Asian wins." The 24-year-old Brisbane piano teacher, who admits she battled to "belong" when she moved here from Seoul at the age of nine, said her success had been a triumph in closing the gap between "international communities and white Australians." "Sometimes there's a separation between the communities and I feel I can fill that gap and represent both and be a good role model for younger people struggling to fit in, in that way," she told News Corp Australia. Some people can be really racist and there are people like that in every country but most people have stood up for me (on Twitter) and I didn't have to say a word. There's more good people who respect me than there are that call me 'the Asian.' Growing up, Im said she was never subjected to "direct racism" but was lost between two worlds. Dami Im with her husband, Noah. I wasn't completely Australian or completely Korean and it was tricky for me as a teenager. I had to find the right people, people like me who were stuck in the middle. There's a heap of people like that in Australia and they have been the ones to give me so much support. Crossing the cultural divide, Im was forced to make up ground in her musical repertoire - at some stages of the competition challenged to learn a song she had never heard before. Her mentor Dannii Minogue hailed her protege's ability to bridge these musical gaps as a testament to how hard she worked to earn her victory. While record industry experts see her heritage as Im's ticket to cash in on the lucrative K-pop market (best illustrated by the global success of Psy's Gangnam Style), Im's ambitions are closer to home - and show her commitment to her new country. "I want to make it in Australia more than anything else," Im said. I want to make good music for Australia and if I get the opportunity to take it to Korea or anywhere else I will be happy as well. As Australia's first Asian-born pop princess, Im says she's proud to be a pioneer. I hope I give all (new Australians) encouragement ... that you can chase your dreams whatever they are, just like I have on The X Factor. Doing the media rounds with husband Noah, the giddy couple were still pinching themselves her dream had come true. I keep forgetting about it and then Noah will say 'you won, Dami, you won' and we both just laugh. Channel 7 and Sony executives were both laughing all the way to the bank, with the three-hour grand finale posting series record ratings (3.3 million viewers nationally) and her winner's single Alive entering the iTunes chart at no.1. Im's self-titled debut album (to be released on November 22) has climbed to number three on pre-order sales.