‘Idol cruel history’ with a different name

《Yoon Jun-ho’s Rebirth》

Reporter Junho Yoon of Ten Asia introduces trends in the entertainment industry. We look at the culture, fashion, and past works of celebrities across the entertainment industry and discuss fun and interesting aspects. Let's look back at what the needs of viewers have increased from the perspective of the MZ generation and what made it popular or uncomfortable with the public.

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December 2017, November 2019. Jonghyun and Sulli passed away. And on April 19, 2023, Astro Moonbin left his fans. Age 25.

It is a sad time for fans who love K-pop. The sad news about idols continues. Even within the industry, there are voices of self-reflection. It is an effort to change the system before facing the end of death. However, successive bad news makes the industry as well as fans feel discouraged.

It's been 4 years since Sulli left. What has changed? In the K-pop industry, there was also a deep sense of futility, wondering if efforts to prevent the repeat of the tragedy were meaningless. ‘Practical management’ has been mentioned every time the sad news is reported. The ‘practical management’ mentioned here refers to mental care through regular psychological tests.

Industry officials cited the social atmosphere as the reason for the continued bad news. This is because Korea has maintained a severely competitive social structure. In particular, in the case of idols, they were encouraged to compete in the name of their dreams from a young age. There were also concerns that if the social atmosphere does not change, the narratives of Jonghyun, Sulli, and Moonbin will be repeated.

Mr. A, a music industry official, said, "We are conducting a continuous psychological counseling program starting from trainees, and we are conducting (tests) largely in the first and second half of the year by inviting counselors." He also announced, “If we find that continued observation is necessary, we provide 1:1 face-to-face counseling at least once or twice a week.”

The preventive measures mentioned in the industry are not much different. From trainees to those who have become idol stars. At the company level, efforts are made to maintain psychological stability.

There was no answer as to whether ‘psychological counseling’ was the key to solving the problem. This is because of concerns that even if the company makes efforts, it will be seen as ‘having a variety’. Here, Mr. B, another music official, mentioned that it is unfortunate that the social atmosphere that forces competition is unfortunate.

Mr. B said, “I don’t think we are talking about the problem of K-pop (the cause of the unfortunate news),” and added, “(If the atmosphere itself does not change), it will be the same even after 4 months, not 4 years, and it will be the same even after 40 years.” .

Mr. C, a music official, also pointed out, "In the end, the reason that unfortunate things happen despite such efforts is not a systemic problem of K-pop, but a problem of all of Korea as competition intensifies and it becomes an advanced country."

In fact, foreign media such as the New York Times reported that Moonbin's sad news should not be interpreted as a K-pop problem. In addition, Korea is one of the countries with the highest suicide rate in the world, and suicide is the leading cause of death under the age of 40.

Competition itself is not a bad thing. It is no exaggeration to say that the Korean Wave started from competition. The issue is probably relief measures for those who are having a hard time during the competition process. This is not just a problem with K-pop itself. Broadly speaking, it is time to listen to the voices saying that this is ultimately a problem in Korean society.

Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr