It’s not an overstatement to say that in South Korea, celebrities are held to a higher standard than many in Western culture. Singers are referred to as “idols” in the industry, and the title alone demonstrates the pressure that these sometimes teenagers are under to be the best role models for millions. This however comes with many hardships and a lot of scrutiny, as highlighted in the news recently with the passing of a few k-pop idols such as Sulli, Hara and Jonghyun.
From the moment an artist is under a company’s management, they are watched under a microscope. This only becomes worse after debut. Idols, for many in Korea are comparable to performing monkeys. A personal life isn’t banned per say, however there are rules and restrictions for every member which many fans don’t agree with.
Dating for celebrities can be seen as a betrayal of fans, especially for females. Tabloids publish rumors about possible relationships and scrutinize said idols. Even when confirmed that stars are in a happy relationship, they can be met with a blockade of negative comments.
Idols are also subject to a lot of abuse on social media. While some companies don’t allow their artists to have it, many are free to post whatever they want. This means that if an idol posts a risqué photo or an unpopular fashion trend they get scrutinized in the comments, sometimes for things that have no relevance to the photo itself. Fans are quick to jump to their defense and hide the negativity with encouraging and kind words, however many are still met with a lot of abuse and hate from trolls. Also many negative and often untrue articles are written about stars and nothing is done to stop them being published and spread as if fact.
Obviously this can be a lot for idols to deal with. For some, sadly it gets too much. Many delete their instagram or turn off comments to block it out.
Sadly, some idols haven’t been able to continue under the public eye and have taken their own lives. Kim Jonghyun of Shinee, in 2017 at the age of 27, died of a suspected suicide linked with depression. Choi Sulli of f(x), was found dead after hanging herself in October 2019 at the age of 25, also linked with severe depression. A month later, Goo Hara of Kara, also committed suicide age 28. This was linked to the harassment she received online for her involvement in a public sex video crime, despite being the victim.
The k-pop industry is flawed in many ways and these deaths highlight that, but fans get so much joy from these artists so it’s only natural that fans are also heartbroken when something awful like a suicide occurs.
Here are some fan reactions to the passings of Jonghyun, Hara & Sulli:
