She’s not allowed to take off her sunglasses.
Rape, abuse and drugs. These are some of the last things that come to mind when thinking of KPOP. However, as harsh as reality is, behind the dyed hair and dynamic music videos is a world of disturbing scandals. Not only are these young idols pushed by their seniors in the company to gain fame, they are also pushed into things which are morally wrong such as, stripping, drinking, drugs, and sex at a young age.
Another famous case of mistreatment in the Hallyu industry is that of two ex-members of one of KPOP's biggest names, a Korean-Chinese boy band, EXO. Lu Han and Wu Yi Fan were in the Mandarin subgroup of EXO, EXO-M. Luhan and Kris, both Chinese members from EXO sued their entertainment agency to the same reasons, "unfair treatment, forced schedules, financial problems". Lu Han also added on his case, “the discrimination between the Chinese and Korean members.” Luhan and Kris both suffered from medical issues, and were still forced to continue working their strict schedules as well as being treated prejudicedly.
The typical schedule of a KPOP idol starts with school in the morning (if applicable), then the daily practice regimen, which can last up to 16 hours daily. This consists of dance practice, vocal lessons and language lessons every day of the week. If the group is shooting a music video, the shooting usually takes a endless 24 hour day. A star said, “If I were lucky, I’d get 2-4 hours of sleep.” The singers only a small percentage of their earnings from their music, the rest all going to the company.
On the 18th of September 2014, E News released a story focusing about lawsuit from a young trainee whose company’s CEO had constantly sexually abused him throughout his years in the company (name of the company concealed for the trainee’s safety). The trainee had mentioned that, "They [the company workers] rented a room to drink for one of the staff members birthday and had a male trainee perform strip shows while girls poured drinks on him and touched him inappropriately." The trainee later mentioned that the reason he did not quit was because of his will to become an idol, ”I have to do what I’m told by my company, and if I don’t they will release me. So [I] had no choice but to do it,”
In a recent survey conducted by a popular children’s internet portal in Korea, the results showed that 41.6% of the 10,487 children (or 4,364 children) wanted to be singers. This data shows that many adults and children have fallen for the illusion of Korean pop music. “It makes me feel sad that people are being treated this way just so that they can "entertain" people,” Russell Koh, an avid KPOP fan says, “I do feel guilty in a way, I feel guilty and sad because i know these artists are being treated badly but i still listen to their music.” Another KPOP fan, Sunyoung Cho, takes a strong stand as well, knowing how these trainees are treated, “it makes me feel like not listening to KPOP sings and just shutting myself from KPOP because it’s embarrassing that my country is just treating their young people like dirt.”
It’s not possible to get the whole world to stop listening to KPOP, but there is something we can do to help. Share this article and help people become more aware of what is under the surface of KPOP. Promote the awareness of a cause that is morally wrong. We can sign this petition to help promote a better living condition for Korean idols. Tell the world you’re not happy with they way these stars are treated. After all, they are human too.
Singer Natasha Low tells the interviewer from a local newspaper. She’s not allowed to take off her sunglasses because of the chance of someone clicking an unflattering picture of her. This is not an uncommon rule in this booming industry. Celebrities in this business are clearly told what they can and cannot do, what is right and what is wrong, and who and what they are. Once these hopeful stars sign their contracts, they find themselves as nothing more than pawns in a game of fame and fortune, it’s the survival of the fittest, it’s a game we call KPOP.
Bright lights, catchy beats, and extraordinary dance moves, those are the first things that come to mind when the topic of Korean pop music, commonly referred as KPOP or Hallyu (한류). In this rapidly growing industry, worth US$30 million, there is a side that most people are unaware of; a side many fans choose to overlook: the dark side of South Korean Pop music.
Rape, abuse and drugs. These are some of the last things that come to mind when thinking of KPOP. However, as harsh as reality is, behind the dyed hair and dynamic music videos is a world of disturbing scandals. Not only are these young idols pushed by their seniors in the company to gain fame, they are also pushed into things which are morally wrong such as, stripping, drinking, drugs, and sex at a young age.
Another famous case of mistreatment in the Hallyu industry is that of two ex-members of one of KPOP's biggest names, a Korean-Chinese boy band, EXO. Lu Han and Wu Yi Fan were in the Mandarin subgroup of EXO, EXO-M. Luhan and Kris, both Chinese members from EXO sued their entertainment agency to the same reasons, "unfair treatment, forced schedules, financial problems". Lu Han also added on his case, “the discrimination between the Chinese and Korean members.” Luhan and Kris both suffered from medical issues, and were still forced to continue working their strict schedules as well as being treated prejudicedly.
The typical schedule of a KPOP idol starts with school in the morning (if applicable), then the daily practice regimen, which can last up to 16 hours daily. This consists of dance practice, vocal lessons and language lessons every day of the week. If the group is shooting a music video, the shooting usually takes a endless 24 hour day. A star said, “If I were lucky, I’d get 2-4 hours of sleep.” The singers only a small percentage of their earnings from their music, the rest all going to the company.
On the 18th of September 2014, E News released a story focusing about lawsuit from a young trainee whose company’s CEO had constantly sexually abused him throughout his years in the company (name of the company concealed for the trainee’s safety). The trainee had mentioned that, "They [the company workers] rented a room to drink for one of the staff members birthday and had a male trainee perform strip shows while girls poured drinks on him and touched him inappropriately." The trainee later mentioned that the reason he did not quit was because of his will to become an idol, ”I have to do what I’m told by my company, and if I don’t they will release me. So [I] had no choice but to do it,”
In a recent survey conducted by a popular children’s internet portal in Korea, the results showed that 41.6% of the 10,487 children (or 4,364 children) wanted to be singers. This data shows that many adults and children have fallen for the illusion of Korean pop music. “It makes me feel sad that people are being treated this way just so that they can "entertain" people,” Russell Koh, an avid KPOP fan says, “I do feel guilty in a way, I feel guilty and sad because i know these artists are being treated badly but i still listen to their music.” Another KPOP fan, Sunyoung Cho, takes a strong stand as well, knowing how these trainees are treated, “it makes me feel like not listening to KPOP sings and just shutting myself from KPOP because it’s embarrassing that my country is just treating their young people like dirt.”
It’s not possible to get the whole world to stop listening to KPOP, but there is something we can do to help. Share this article and help people become more aware of what is under the surface of KPOP. Promote the awareness of a cause that is morally wrong. We can sign this petition to help promote a better living condition for Korean idols. Tell the world you’re not happy with they way these stars are treated. After all, they are human too.
By Mehak
