Foreigners think that being an idol is an ideal job opportunity for Koreans, while most Korean think otherwise. There are differences in perspective between Korean and foreigners regarding idols’ private lives and social activity. Find out more about Korean’s opinions and perspectives regarding Idols’ private lives and their social problems.
K-Pop Idols Dating
Hyuna and her boyfriend E-Dawn made headlines by announcing their romantic relationship in public. Their label company found out about the news and decided to terminate their contract. Asian Boss interviewed young Koreans about the matter. All of the young Koreans took the side of Hyuna and E-Dawn. They supported the couple, and saw nothing wrong with their decision to go public with their relationship. They said that the company decided to terminate Hyuna and E-Dawn contracts because their relationship could damage their image and fan base. Teenage Koreans, especially woman, think that a male idol should not date another woman. They think that the male idol should be pure and they think of the idols as their future boyfriends. They have the feeling of being cheated or being betrayed when male idols date a woman. Most Koreans are against companies who terminate their artists’ contracts when they date in public. They thought that the company could lose their stock and popularity from the idol. Some people think that idol is their future lover, and they are interested in the idol. If the idol dates another person, their fantasy disappeared and they lose interest in the idol. Koreans think that idols should also avoid gambling and drinking, for the sake of their image. Idols are considered as princes or princesses, and smoking or drinking could ruin their image and popularity.
Netizens Reactions To Idols Who Revealed Their Sexuality
A Korean K-Pop singer, Som Hae-in, made headlines for posting images of her kissing another woman, and came out in public as bisexual. Asian Boss asked Koreans on the streets of Seoul what they thought regarding the issue. Many Koreans were amazed by her courage to come out in public. It was the first time for a celebrity to openly reveal her sexuality. They said that it must have frustrated her to keep a secret of her sexuality. Perhaps, she wanted to change the view Koreans have about people who are LGBTQ.
A post shared by Somhein (@somgodld) on Aug 8, 2019 at 9:39am PDT According to them, recently, Korean perspectives about LGBTQ are much better compared to the old days. However, old people and the Christian community still have negative perspectives about the community. Young Koreans in their 20s and 30s think that the LGBT community wasn’t doing anything wrong with their sexuality. Many Koreans think that being part of the LGBTQ community is very risky, raising one’s chances of contracting a sexual disease, and many people think of them as dirty people. Regarding the necessity of coming out and revealing one’s sexuality, Koreans have divided opinions. Some of them said that if they were bisexual or homosexual, they would keep it a secret since they have no courage to expose their sexuality, while others said that they would come out to their parents and close friends. Most Koreans think that being bisexual or homosexual is an acquired trait, rather than a hereditary trait. They said that people’s community and social environment has the biggest influence. In case of hereditary trait, it had a connection with hormonal problems.
K-Pop Industry and Plastic Surgery
In the eyes of foreigners, Korean woman have a certain stereotype regarding plastic surgery. Many foreigners think that most Korean woman have received plastic surgery at least once, and that plastic surgery is a common practice. At the time of the interview, a relatively unknown idol group, Six Bomb, caused some controversy by publicly admitting to having cosmetic surgery while promoting their song, Getting Pretty. Asian Boss interviewed Koreans about the matter. Koreans are relatively open-minded about plastic surgery. They understand the demand in Korean entertainment industry. However, they hate celebrities who deny having received surgery, when their faces prove everything. Regarding idols, they considered that it is acceptable for them if they have limited talent but worked hard and trained hard when they were promoting their group. Face and appearance comes first compared to talent. Only 1% of idols with good talent and less-appealing looks could be successful. They said that if their dream is becoming an idol, and cosmetic enhancement is the only way, they would do it without hesitation.
K-Pop Stars and Their Past Life
K-Pop Stars are considered idols and role models that young Korean should look up to. At the peak of their popularity, past stories of their bad behavior occasionally come back to haunt them. Sistar’s Hyorin and Jannabi’s Yoo Young-hoon quit their groups after they were accused of bullying their school friends in the past. Asian Boss interviewed Koreans about the matter. The people who were interviewed said that it was a shame that the famous singers do everything as they please. They were disappointed because the mistakes of a single member left the other members’ good images tarnished, as well. However, an adult Korean looked at the issue from her point of view, and said that it was past behavior. At the time, the performers were young and careless. If they regretted the mistake, they shouldn’t have quit the group because they worked hard to reach their current status. Other Koreans said that they didn’t really care about the idol’s past wrongdoings. They were only interested in their music, and that their music has nothing to do with their behavior. Private matters should stay in the private areas. One young woman said that perhaps the scandal is connected to Koreans’ character. Some Koreans hate seeing other people’s success and they would do everything to destroy the person. Regarding bullying, Koreans said that it is very common in school. If a boy or girl is fat, smells bad, is short, or wears glasses, he or she is easily be the subject of bullying. In mixed-sex schools, the kids tend to mingle well with other kids, while in same-sex schools, girls or boys tend to form groups. Any kids that had difficulties in joining these groups could face bullying.
Netizen Perspectives About K-Pop Idols
K-pop popularity is rising around the world. Foreigners think that most young Koreans want to be idols. An interviewer asked for Korean’s perspectives about K-Pop idols. Many young Koreans have no intention of becoming an idol. However, most of them think that being an idol is a quite god job, but it comes with its own risks and hardships. In order to become an idol, Koreans must have a tough mentality. One person said that she doesn’t want to be an idol because she doesn’t want to be the subject of attention. She also said that it might be difficult to deal with after-fame success. Regarding the percentage of normal people successfully becoming an idol, many Koreans think that percentage is very low, and close to 0,1%. Since many people want to be idols, the chance is limited. If they failed, the person could disappear from entertainment industry. Regarding the negatives and positives about being an idol, they think that there are more negative aspects than positive ones. The good thing about being an idol is that they can make a lot of money at the peak of their popularity. The bad things are that most idols must deal with negative comments on online communities and having no private lives. If an idol’s private life is exposed, it can cause a lot of stress and ruin their popularity. That was all the information about Korean netizens reactions about K Pop and entertainment industry. Don’t forget to give your thoughts in the comment section!
