The K-pop Industry's Many Skeletons
The K-pop Industry's Many Skeletons
My partner has been onboard the K-pop train for several years. As much as they enjoy their groups, we've discussed several aspects that are connected to the global American capitalist hegemony. Keep in mind that these are two people's experiences rather than a scientific consensus.
The List
- As K-pop has become more mainstream, songs have begun to incorporate more and more non-Korean lyrics, particularly English. The K-pop industry is large enough such that it attracts international artists, almost all of whom appear Eastern/SE Asian. Exo from the 2010's is one group who had eight South Korean and eight Chinese members, and they released songs in Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese. (Exo slowly lost its Chinese members due to mistreatment, but that's a different story). Nevertheless, Exo is more of the exception. Many groups sing exclusively in Korean and English. And whereas in the past, Korean would be the predominant lyrics with a sprinkle of English, many newer songs are the exact opposite with Korean as the minority.[^1] Perhaps this is the price paid for going global.
- Girl groups in k-pop face very different treatment from boy groups. My impression of the industry is that "typical" K-pop idols start training young, break out as part of a boy/girl group, and finally dive into a solo careers as singers, actors, etc. Not everyone makes it past each step, and some idols come from other media industries. Girl groups deal with additional complications. Several girl groups have debuted with minors amongst their members[^2], and they have been getting progressively younger. When you consider that idols train can train for several years, this means a 16-year old member probably starting training at 13-14 years old. In addition, girl groups are generally shorter lived than boy groups. A large part of the blame goes to the record labels. A new girl group may debut with a label, and they'll get all the attention, publicity, and studio backing they could ask for. A couple years later, a new girl group will debut with the same label, and the previous one will be neglected. I've been told that girl groups live and die by what is trendy in the moment, and this constant churn is one way to chase it. Generally speaking, boy groups do not face those same pressures.
- Sexualization of idols Sexualization of K-pop idols exists. It's a thing. It exists among both girl groups and boy groups, but in different ways. Girl groups face the more well known sexualization we see in our society. Boy groups face aggressive homoerotic 'shipping' among their fans. In fact, the industry plays into it. One of the common stipulations in an idol's contract is that they will neither date nor enter romantic relationships for a period of time. This can range from a few years to the length of their contract. The implication being that the idols are single and available for you, the consumer. Coupled with the number of underage idols and prevalence of Asian fetishization in the West, this sexualization is particularly gross.
Conclusion
Next time someone speaks about the cultural exports of K-pop, you can ask "but at what cost??" and mention the above.
[^1]: For example, As If It's Your Last by Blackpink in 2017 vs. Shutdown in 2022
[^2]: For example, Ive debuted in 2021, which means Wonyoung and Liz were 17, and Leeseo was 15. Similarly, NewJeans debuted in 2022. Their youngest member, Hyein, was 14.#
Don't forget the abuse committed by the kpop idols themselves. Look up the burning sun scandal. A ton of the Korean upper class got caught sex trafficking and date raping women at a big nightclub a few years ago. South Korea's entertainment industry is pretty much the same as America's.
I think RoK overall faces a lot of horrible misogyny. For the Burning Suns scandal, some of those idols have been convicted, and they got off relatively light IMO. Seungri ended up pleading guilty to all charges in exchange for 18 months in prison.
In addition, I've heard anecdotes from South Korean friends who say that the men are incredibly pushy, won't say no, etc. Also, the beauty standards are something else. Plastic surgery is very common. Women are expected to wear make-up in public. Even my Korean friend who never wears make-up in the US would go through the effort every day when they were visiting.
A gross mischaracterization of a country you haven't visited.
Much like the constant propaganda against other non-white countries who are "inferior" in their treatment of women's rights: "Brown countries use the burka." "You aren't safe to wander after dark, without men harassing you." "The birthrate is low there because brown men are misogynistic" "If the birthrate is high, it's because they have to keep trying until they get a son" "They kill the female babies"