K-pop fans are harming their idols?

India Today

Kim Sae-ron Suicide Case | The Dark Side of K-Pop: Why Are So Many Korean Stars Killing Themselves?

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00:00South Korea has a major problem brewing in its entertainment industry.

00:18K-pop stars and actors have been in the news of late, and not for the reason that you might

00:22think.

00:23Kim Sae-ron, an actress known for her role in Bloodhounds, was found dead at her residence

00:27in Seoul, according to South Korean police agencies.

00:30The actress died by suicide, and she was only 24 years old.

00:34This is not an isolated incident.

00:36Over the years, several Korean stars have made this devastating decision.

00:40But what exactly has led to these stars making such decisions?

00:43It might come as a surprise to Korean culture fans, who are drawn to this kind of content

00:48for their cutesy and bright aesthetic.

00:50But the Korean entertainment industry is not just sunshine and rainbows.

00:54It has a dark side.

00:55While music in movies and dramas bring comfort and happiness to several people around the

00:59globe, at the end of the day, it is the money that is the driving factor behind this industry.

01:04In order to maximize their profits, artists are bound to entertainment companies in almost

01:08slave-like contracts.

01:10Budding K-pop artists, also known as trainees, are signed into companies when they are just

01:1412 years old, in some cases.

01:16And from then on, companies groom them into idols.

01:18They control their diets, their love lives, as well as their behavior in public.

01:23Several K-pop artists have been involved in legal battles over these slave contracts.

01:27For example, Kris and Luhan from EXO sued SM Entertainment, one of Korea's biggest

01:31entertainment companies, for mistreatment and discrimination.

01:35In 2024, the girl band New Genes announced that they were quitting their label, Adore,

01:39describing their situation as mistreatment.

01:42While it is easy to blame the industry for the extreme decisions taken by some idols,

01:46the other side of the stage is equally to be blamed for this problem.

01:50Celebrities have developed an increasingly bizarre parasocial relationship with idols

01:53and actors.

01:54Sometimes, celebrities would be cancelled for something as simple as having a lover,

01:58reading feminist books, or just having hobbies.

02:00For example, one of Korea's most famous K-pop celebrities, Red Velvet's Irene, was cancelled

02:05for reading a feminist book, Kim Ji-young, born in 1982.

02:09Fans reacted negatively, criticizing, insulting, and denouncing Irene on online communities.

02:14Some went as far as burning or destroying photos of her.

02:18While the cyberbullying did not get to Irene in particular, there have been several incidents

02:22where the idols were not that lucky.

02:23Sulli, a former member of the K-pop band fx, and a celebrated actress, was found dead in

02:28an apparent suicide at the age of 25.

02:31She had been the target of harsh online scrutiny and cyberbullying.

02:33She was also known for being an outspoken women's rights activist.

02:37Kim Jong-hyun, who was just 27, was the main vocalist of the band SHINee.

02:41He was found unconscious in his apartment and later pronounced dead.

02:44He was battling depression.

02:46All of these incidents make us realize that social media is not a veil for us to hide

02:49behind to be mean to people.

02:51The next time you want to leave a hate comment or just troll celebrities on the internet,

02:54remind yourself that the object of your hatred can lead to a decision, which can lead to

02:59a devastating end.

03:00You have the power to not make that comment and just scroll away.

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