The Dark reality behind the Korean entertainment industry! K-pop fans are killing their idols?

The Dark reality behind the Korean entertainment industry! K-pop fans are killing their idols?

South Korea has a major problem brewing! K-pop stars and actors have been in the news lately, and it’s not for the reason you think.

Kim Sae-ron, an actress known for her role in Bloodhounds, was found dead at her residence in Seoul. According to South Korean police agencies, the actress died by suicide. She was only 24.

This is not an isolated incident. Over the years, several Korean stars have made this devastating decision. What exactly has led these stars to this decision?

It might come as a surprise to Korean culture fans, who are drawn to this kind of content for its cutesy and bright aesthetic. However, the Korean entertainment industry is not just sunshine and rainbows; it has a dark side.

While music, movies, and dramas bring comfort and happiness to several people around the globe, at the end of the day, it is money that is the driving factor behind the industry. In order to maximise their profits, artists are bound to entertainment companies in almost slave-like contracts.

Budding K-pop artists, also known as trainees, are signed into companies when they are as young as 12 years old. From then, the companies groom them into idols, controlling their diets, their love lives, as well as their behaviour.

Several K-pop artists have been involved in legal battles over “slave contracts.” For example, Kris and Luhan from EXO sued SM Entertainment for mistreatment and discrimination.

In 2024, the girl band NewJeans announced that they were quitting their label, ADOR, describing the situation as “mistreatment.”

While it is easy to blame the industry for the extreme decisions taken by the idols, the other side of the stage is equally to blame for this problem. Fans have developed an increasingly bizarre parasocial relationship with idols and actors.

They will be cancelled for something as simple as having a lover, reading feminist books, or just having hobbies. Red Velvet’s Irene was cancelled for reading a feminist book, Kim Ji-young, Born 1982. Fans reacted negatively, criticising, insulting, and denouncing Irene on online communities. Some went as far as burning or destroying photos of her.

While the cyberbullying did not get to Irene, there have been several incidents where idols were not that lucky. Sulli, a former member of f(x) and a celebrated actress, was found dead in an apparent suicide at the age of 25. She had been the target of harsh scrutiny and cyberbullying. Sulli was known for being an outspoken feminist and women’s rights activist. Kim Jong-hyun, 27, the main vocalist of the band SHINee, was found unconscious in his apartment and later pronounced dead. He was battling depression.

All these incidents make one realise that social media is not just a veil for us to be mean to people. So the next time you want to leave a hate comment or just troll celebrities on the internet, remind yourself that the object of your hate can make a decision that can lead to a devastating end. You have the power to not make that comment and just scroll away.