Introduction
What goes in your mind when I say, 'The dark side?’ Of K-Pop, what could possibly be dark about this music industry? Well, we all know that K-Pop culture is growing tremendously all over the world since time immemorial.
It influences a great deal of millennial and gen z society consistently. Perhaps it is the flashy outfits because we are aware that all K-Pop idols are fashion icons, they inspire our fits and hairs.
The choreography and the visuals of the music video along with the catchy songs are major contributors to the hype that we see today and rightly so.
Now, when we hear the word ‘K-Pop’, we immediately think of the world of perfect idols who never has a so called ‘ugly day’, we see them as they want us to see them- through our rose coloured glasses, oblivious to what’s actually behind the veil of what they portray.
This can be blinding to many of us. Here are some reasons to consider why.
Trainees
First of all, trainees. There are hundreds of trainees competing for a limited chance to make their debut. Therefore, we can only imagine the amount of hard work it must take for someone to try and make it.
Most of this training starts in school, and a person interested in making it to the industry has to maintain a balance between student life and trainee life. Phew, that sounds pretty exhausting to me.
After one has signed a contract with a company, within a span of months or even years, depending on the company the person has signed a contract with, blood, sweat and tears must be shed.
Basically, ever since the contract is signed, they are literally giving up their lives and souls to the industry. From here onwards, almost every aspect of their life is controlled and manufactured to the extent where idols are forced to go through surgeries.
Their lifestyles are controlled, their diets are so strict that most female idols often appear underweight. Their relationships with their fans are also severely controlled.
Is Quitting an Option?
You might wonder, ''why then, do they not just quit?'' Well, apparently, quitting is not the easiest option even, one will have to pay millions just to get out of it. Besides, it’s the passion that holds a person up.
The Fandom
Let's talk about the fandom. No celebrity is unfamiliar with obsessed fans but when I say that the K-Pop industry is far worse, trust me on this.
A group called ‘sasaeng fans’ are extremely obsessive fans who engage in activities that go way beyond supporting their idols to the point of harassing them in illegal ways, from sending them letters written in blood to breaking into their apartments.
In one such instance, a member from Super Junior, Kim Heechul while avoiding these sasaeng fans got into an accident and broke his leg.
It should be noted that this is not a new issue, back in 2006, Yunho, a popular artist almost died drinking orange juice which a sasaeng infiltrated with super glue.
The Anti-Fan
With many fans come anti-fans as well. Being in an agency of severity, the internet is the idol’s window to their fans but even so, it is where danger lurks.
Critiques being critiques drive many stars to commit suicide. Cases like Sulli’s, who was a great artist suffered from depression and was cyberbullied to death.
Conclusion
We now have more insight into how this industry is like and the cost of being a k-pop idol. With this in mind, let us appreciate these people who are just trying to make a living by doing what they love instead of constantly stereotyping and criticizing them.
Let us spread love not hate.
Written by - Kim Houkip
Edited by – Sandhya R
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