If you were to take a stroll in the bustling streets of the Gangnam district, you’d see a throng of teenagers, earnestly waiting outside an exam room, all tensed and eager at the same time. That is most likely to be a K-Pop training academy. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “oh, aspiring group of boys and girls with dreams of being the next K-Pop sensation in the eyes.” Well, it’s not wrong, however, the ever-glamourous K-Pop has a dark underbelly that is rarely talked about – a world where exploitation, abuse, and sexism prevail over the mere tenacity of talent.
Born with infectious melodies, precise choreographies, and perfectly produced idols, K-pop has boomed into a multibillion-dollar phenomenon across the globe from South Korea. Beneath it all, however, are systemic exploitation and financial manipulations laced with cracks in ethics. While tensions have recently centred around HYBE Corporation, a parent company to what has become one of the most popular groups from South Korea, especially with what happened with Jungkook of BTS, the roots of the problems stretch far beyond the company itself.
An Industry rooted in Pressure and Prodding Control
The K-pop world functions like an industrial machine- a perfect machine designing idols that the population across the world falls in love with. That comes at quite a cost: Young teenagers begin as hopeful superstars, ready to be indoctrinated under severe training patterns, strict contractual conditions, and pressure that may even break mental and physical fitness. Many let agencies take multiple years of their lives, squandering their own well-being just for a one-in-a-hundred chance for stardom.
These trainees are under constant supervision, where everything in their lives is controlled by entertainment companies. Creative expression, the most basic element of artistry, is hardly provided to K-pop idols. Music, dance moves, and even public personas are managed by agencies with a lot of detail, hardly leaving room for individuality. This systemic control further reinforces a view of idols as commodities and not artists, which further underscores the exploitative nature of the industry.
This intense pressure from the fans and the agencies has proven to be utterly disastrous. A number of idols have been unable to cope with mental health issues; some have taken their own lives tragically. The industry has no space for vulnerability in the relentless pursuit of perfection, so the tragedies continue to be a reality.
A twisted web of financial discrepancies
Financial scandals also tainted the business reputation of K-pop. Rumours about manipulating the stock prices, chart rigging, and other immoral actions began to float and uncover the darker streams of K-pop corporate warfare. Recently, HYBE Corporation has been implicated in a scandal about alleged stock price manipulation led by Kim Beom-Soo, Kakao Corp’s founder who holds a big percentage in HYBE.
According to reports, Kim had conspired with other private equity firms to inflate the stock price of SM Entertainment artificially, out of fear over a hostile takeover by their competitor HYBE’s BigHit Entertainment. The industry was left reeling as this cutthroat competition between the four major agencies controlling K-pop was revealed-HYBE, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment.
There have also been allegations of “sajaegi,” or artificially inflating chart numbers. Fans have been calling for more transparency, especially about the success of groups such as BTS, increasing demands for companies like HYBE and BigHit Music to take responsibility.
Scandals are frequent in K-pop, according to a 2022 news report witnessing popular artist Lee Seung-gi discovering his agency Hook Entertainment withheld all profits for digital streams and downloads of his songs over 20 years.
A Realm where Darkness takes over
Such claims of further sinister activities, like some top executives of the company operating a prostitution ring, were not unusual. Stories of women being intoxicated, raped, and videotaped without their consent have made dark the industry, which has positioned itself as glamorous and perfect. The recent incident of Jungkook being recorded without his notice goes about to show how terrifying it must be to be part of an industry you’ve always dreamt about.
Such accusations, alongside the exploitative nature of these idol contracts, paint a pretty gloomy picture of an industry certainly in dire need of reform. Adoring fans are presented with images polished to perfection that show how far removed these realities are in the behind-the-scenes world from this ideal world.
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JungKook and The Infamous Qatar Feud
It also brought ethical issues to the mainstream with its international popularity. A flashpoint that ignited criticism in this regard came with BTS member Jungkook at the opening ceremony of the Qatar World Cup. The event had been marred by human rights controversies, ranging from the country’s Kafala system, under which migrant workers were exploited, and the suppression of rights regarding the LGBTQ+ community.
Management was severely criticized from all sides in regards to this, as their own company touted that they strive to provide “music for healing.” HYBE Corporation is at the top level of the Korean pop industry; hence, having Jungkook participate in this event linked with human rights violators made everyone recognize it as a common ethical failure at K-pop levels when spreading wings to the globe.
“You can be a top superstar but they’ll still come after you with pitchforks,” says JungKook.
As K-pop continues to be a global sensation, we can only hope and pray that idols stop feeling the need to give in to the abuse. Because after all, harmony and humanity is what should matter in the end.
