How long should you pay for your past mistakes?
This question lies at the fore as countless bullying scandals hound some of South Korea’s idols and celebrities. In a country where public image is so fragile that it could make or break one’s career, the wave of accusations prompted entertainment agencies to put their artists on indefinite hiatuses and cancel or postpone their pending projects. However, many celebrities elsewhere in the world have gotten embroiled in far more scandalous accusations, yet are still thriving in their profession seemingly unscathed. That a simple allegation — whether proven or not — provides enough damage to one’s reputation and career in Korea demonstrates fundamental problems in its entertainment industry.
Although abuse is absolutely inexcusable, it is also important to consider that there are several factors that can contribute to the making of an abuser. Some people may be projecting their own experiences of abuse towards others; some may only be shielding themselves from themselves being a target; some may simply not realize at the moment that their actions constitute bullying or harassment. To say that the accused artists deserve to have their careers ruined over their past actions is quite extreme, given that the accusations happened during their pre-debut (often teenage) years, when they were immature. They may have already learned from their mistakes and changed for the better, and more importantly, their past mistakes should not destroy their overall efforts to find success. It is not a secret that the entertainment industry is tough, with idols having to undergo a tedious training period that requires sacrificing years of their youth. In facing harsh consequences, these celebrities’ hard work is not only invalidated, but also shows the misdirected priority of punishment rather than support for the victims. While I do agree that celebrities who fail to show remorse for their actions deserve heavier consequences, they should first be given the chance to reflect and understand their mistakes. If the K-pop community truly wants justice, they should encourage the accused celebrities to reconnect with the victims and allow the process of healing on both ends.
The Korean Entertainment Management Association resonated the same sentiment in a recently released statement. Upon acknowledging that the victims deserve justice and that the accused artists should be held responsible, they pleaded against pulling out artists from pending projects. This action would affect the Korean entertainment industry significantly, from wasted production costs to the added distress that the production crew would encounter. Nevertheless, they promised that they would actively help the victims in their healing, as well as ensure that the artists are aware of their social responsibilities.
Unfortunately, and quite unsurprisingly, the K-pop community itself is the one blowing the scandals out of proportion. Although some are genuinely enraged at the allegations and truly want to hold the artists accountable, some are simply taking advantage of the chaos. The surge of anti-fans has made the K-pop community more toxic, and it is these anti-fans who aggressively attack the accused artists online, even though the allegations have not yet been confirmed. There are others who capitalize on the scandals to criticize the accused only to uplift their personal favorites. These are making it extremely difficult for involved parties to reconcile, and it is putting pressure on entertainment agencies to mediate the situation. Many agencies have already verified the claims thrown at their artists, while some have denied the accusations. Nevertheless, the reputations of the artists continue to be damaged, forcing agencies to set aside their artists for the time being and postpone their projects.
Seeing the impact that the K-pop community has on a celebrity’s career and the lengths that anti-fans take to bash some celebrities, it is plausible that some of the bullying allegations may even be completely manufactured to bring down an artist’s reputation. Choi Yebin, an actress currently starring in the Korean series Penthouse, was one of the celebrities accused of school bullying in a now taken-down post. Her agency, J Wide Company, has confirmed that the post was fabricated, after consulting with Yebin and other acquaintances who attested to the absurdity of the claims. Similarly, Chuu from LOONA was accused of bullying, but the accuser later confirmed that her claims were exaggerated and apologized. Regardless, the false accusations placed the artists and their respective agencies in unnecessary trouble.
It is clear that the entertainment industry’s strong emphasis on image is the culprit of the exaggeration of these bullying scandals. Celebrities are expected to be perfect, godsent individuals, so when this image is damaged, they are suddenly treated like monsters who do not deserve respect. Yes, agencies have an obligation to protect their artists, but from a business perspective, they can only do so much if the reputation of the artists have been tainted severely. Therefore, there has to be a significant change in the psyche of the consumers (the K-pop community) to stop revering celebrities like gods and see them as actual human beings who are capable of making mistakes, and capable of learning from them.
