In the past decade, K-pop, short for Korean pop, has gradually gained recognition worldwide. Although Korean pop music had always been big in its home country Korea, it had never successfully grasped an international audience until recent years. In June 2012, a Korean pop singer named PSY released the track ‘Gangnam Style’, a comical song boasting about the singer’s national success. This song gained explosive popularity around the world, earning the grand title of the most viewed video in Youtube’s history on November 2012. This quirky, upbeat song introduced many to the country of Korea and its pop music industry.

The world of K-pop is colourful and lively. K-pop has its own unique style and atmosphere that sets it apart from other pop music. Intense fan bases, bubbly and energetic songs, flashy pop stars, catchy dances, and trendy music videos —it seems too perfect to be true. And yet, a much darker side that we do not know of, exists in the complex world of Korean music.

In a competitive society like South Korea, it’s the survival of the fittest, smartest, and prettiest. Many companies and agencies giving their idols little freedom on what they wear, eat, and do. At the start of their journey for fame, stars are recruited by a companies and become trainees at young ages of 10-13. Agencies require stars to sign contracts lasting at least a decade, that promise the star’s allegiance to the company, making it very hard for stars to leave their company. These contracts, also knowns as ‘slavery contracts’, require idols to allow companies to control their finances, health, social media, and personal lives. In 2000, manager of pop idol Baek Ji-young secretly filmed the idol having sex and threatened to release the video when she tried to move to a different company. These horrid situations have occurred multiple times in the past.

During trainee years, which last for a minimum of 4-8 years, idols intently prepare for debut in the watch of their companies. A Korean pop star Jo Kwon revealed that while he was a trainee, he was forced to make his executives coffee, run errands, and regularly scrub the basement floor, and do things that were not included in his idol contract. In 2014, the law promised underage stars only the basic rights to learn, rest, and sleep, nothing more.  

Furthermore, entertainment companies have set images they want their stars to embody. Both male and female idols are seen as beautiful when they are thin, have large eyes, fair skin, and slim faces. K-pop stars who conformed to these ideals set unnatural beauty standards for teens and adults around the world. Plastic surgery is common among idols and is often included as requirements in the ‘slave contracts’. All idols should have the right to not be pressured into plastic surgery they do not want.

What’s more, stars are also commonly put through extreme diets. Ailee, a Korean-American singer reports of her only consuming 500 calories a day, which is merely ¼ of the necessary daily calorie intake. In result, she lost 10 kilograms in less than a month. She stated that the diet made her feel light-headed, as if she was going to constantly faint. Another example is of T.O.P, a member of the male group Big Bang, losing 20 kilograms in 40 days by only eating yanggaeng (a sweet jelly made of red beans) and drinking water. Companies should not encourage and force these types of diets onto their idols. They do not provide enough nutrients for one to properly function, causing idols’ health to deteriorate.

Adding on, agencies try very hard to please their fans in any way possible. One method they use is giving a sense of affection and ownership of their idols to fans. Doing this allows fans to feel more personally connected and attached to the idol, investing more in the idol, greatly profitting the company. Because of this, dating is strictly prohibited, too. Another thing K-pop is famous for is its sasaengs. A sasaeng is a Korean term for an overly-obsessed “fan” of an idol or group. There have been many horrifying instances of sasaengs invading the privacy of stars. Taecyeon Ok, a male pop singer, reported of the sickening incident of when he received a letter from a fan in the past, covered with the fan’s pubic hair and written with their menstrual blood. Another incident is of Jonghyun Lee of the boy band CNBLUE. The star was practicing guitar in his dormitory when he heard a giggling sound behind the drawers, where spotted a fan hiding, who ran away from the room saying, 'Oppa, I listened well’.

On the other hand, K-pop idols are also famous for having so-called ‘anti-fans’ that take extreme measures to harm them. One example is of Jay Park, a former member of the boy group 2PM, who announced his departure from the group and rest from activity, when anti-fans made a petition for the star’s suicide. This petition gained over 3,000 votes but was taken down later. Another shocking example is of Yunho, a member of the duo TVXQ, who drank a beverage containing super glue handed to him by a “fan”. Coughing up blood, the star was immediately brought to the hospital. He stated that after that, he dealt with severe anxiety and even considered giving up being an idol.

Regardless, the entire K-pop industry is not all corrupt and hopeless. Without doubt, there are many good aspects about K-pop that other pop industries could learn from. More importantly, an increasing number of agencies are starting to provide their idols with proper respect, care, and personal space. I personally believe that the issues within Korean pop industry are ordinarily disregarded and overlapped by the glamour of it all, when in fact, the reality is quite far from a world of colour, excitement, and happiness. Remember, there’s always more than what meets the common eye.