Cancel Culture and Cyberbullying in South Korea

 

Taken from Straits Times Article

The Netflix documentary on the late Sulli from the well-known girl band FX caught my attention recently. Hearing about a celebrity's passing is a very sad event. A peek into the lives of celebrities and the reasons behind their suicides was provided to us. In these interviews, Sulli discusses what it's like to live in the public glare as a star. She had to appease her followers and was unable to express herself, which was depressing.

Her statement that idols are like manufactured goods that are marketed to audiences was the most impactful aspect of the interview. She is constantly criticised for her behaviour, appearance, and style of wearing. Sulli said she had always wanted to be herself and lead the life she desired, but she felt misunderstood. She tried to remain strong and ignore all the voices, but the hurtful posts and remarks about her had been getting to her.

Sulli broke down and sobbed a few times throughout these interviews. She was in anguish and felt powerless because of cyberbullying. Sulli felt exhausted by all the criticism, even though she understood that she had to put up with these circumstances and live in the public glare as a celebrity. These online warriors have been disparaging her body and spreading hate. Sulli acknowledged that she was melancholy, but she vowed to be resilient and face every obstacle head-on.

However, we knew that after these interviews, Sulli had made the decision to end her own life. We learnt how difficult it may be to be a star from this documentary. Sulli claimed in the interview that she felt naked even though she was dressed in front of everyone. She thought she could be attacked by anyone. She was subjected to harassment and body shaming by online users. She has been the target of stalking and attempts to minimise her by the Sasaeng fanatics.

Drama Queen thoughts 

 Pressure in this dynamic sector

This documentary resembles a Sulli bare it all. Not everyone is cut out to be a celebrity. When we are not in their position, we will never understand how stressful it is. They have to cope with the pressure of being well-liked. There will always be some people who don't like them and would do anything to get attention. The most frustrating part is that these cyberbullies propagate ugly lies while hiding behind a keyboard and sending malicious remarks online.

Sending funeral wreaths 

Funeral Wreaths

The situation becomes highly toxic when antis turn against a celebrity they once liked. As demonstrated by Riizen Seunghan, fans were incensed when it was discovered that he had a girlfriend prior to his debut. Are their idols really supposed to be innocent and pure at this age? Being in love is not a sin because we are all human. As long as they were spending money and showing support, the fans believed that the celebrities were theirs.

Actress Seo Yea Ji 

Agency stepping up to protect their employees 

The agencies are finally taking action to shield their artists from anti-fans. In order to safeguard their staff against online harassment and abuse, organisations need to increase their level of monitoring. Haters recently also gave Onew from boyband Shinee funeral wreaths. The agency was reimbursed by the corporation for rejecting the funeral wreath. The organisation was commended for taking aggressive measures to protect its staff from these assaults.

Popular drama Queen Of Tears Poster

Dollars and Cents

In addition to being entertaining, watching well-written dramas can teach us something. However, we must keep in mind that the main focus of this story was money. Dramas generate income for the companies after they become really famous. Companies use their artists as cash cows to extract their value. Fans' desire to attend fan events, visit pop-up shops, and buy merchandise is normal. That being said, it is acceptable to like what we like because everyone has their own biases and opinions.The drama crew demands a high salary in exchange for their hard work in creating the show. Funding is necessary for businesses to generate revenue for future projects, and sponsors need to see their products promoted and their business expand. Actors and actresses will have more opportunities and endorsements, which will boost their income. The situation is advantageous to all. Where there is a need, there is commercial potential.

Korean Drama: Crash Landing On You

Fantasy Vs Reality 

Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin, real-life celebrity couples, costarred in the popular drama Crash Landing On You. The lead actor and actress were marketed as the greatest on-screen and real-life couples, and the drama earned the highest rating. Fans of Korean dramas now hope to witness another happy ending wedding between Kim Ji won and Kim Soo Hyun, often known as the Kim Kim couple. In an attempt to emulate Crash Landing On You, online users are attempting to pair up the couple from the popular show Queen of Tears. Many fans were hopeful that the on-screen couple will get married, and they have generated a lot of excitcement.

The real world and our dreams must be distinguished. It is only their professional job for the actors and actresses. Fans have no bearing on who these celebs choose to see or do in their personal lives. Their private life is not subject to public scrutiny. The media industry does create exposure for their show. The corporation is aware that allowing people to speculate about their personal lives and failing to dispel rumours are both forms of publicity. As long as the fantasy is popular, fans can continue to cling to it.The fervent admirers are essentially trying to control these superstars' lives. Until their agency issue an official announcement, it is all just hearsay.

Korean drama: Decendants of The Sun

Overhyped by the media 

Actors and actresses do not always end up together, even when they co-star in a successful show. Even those who are married may eventually get divorced. In the past, Song Hye Kyo and Song Jong Ki, who costarred in The Descentants of the Sun, had a fairytale marriage. However, reality came in when they separated after two years of marriage. People begin to conjecture and fabricate stories regarding the separation when it is exclusive to the pair. Many admirers were dissatisfied since their fanatasy was crushed by reality. Some attempted to despise the ex-couple for dashing their dreams.


Official Statement by GoldMedalist

 Scandals are exploited by the media to attract viewers

Things were blown out of proportion as soon as the media found out about the romance. They exploit the controversy to increase their viewership and profit from their sensational stories. Similar to their paparazzi, Korea Dispatch claims that Seo Yea Ji is the mastermind behind Kim Jung Hyun's conduct after intercepting an inappropriate text exchange between them. However, are these news reports accurate? Are there any facts or remarks made by all parties before the verdict that support the truth? Because of misleading information that has been going about on social media, people trust the rumours without checking to see if they are accurate.

The scandals then got out of hand and ended an actress's career. Later, KBS apologised for escalating the controversy, but it was too late. How can one make up for an actress whose relationship issues devastated her life and career? Therefore, it's critical to uphold ethical standards for news reporting and refrain from drawing conclusions before all the facts are known. Individuals should simply wait for the official declaration before making any assumptions. Sometimes actions cannot be reversed. We must accept accountability for our words and writings.


Media Witch-hunt

I do not believe that Seo Yea Ji is responsible for the actions of her former boyfriend, Kim Jung Hyun. In addition to his agency issue, he is also struggling with depression.There are issues between the pair, and they got into a fight. It's typical for partners in relationships to have lover jealousy. They were lovers, so how can they be professional? Their personal and professional lives shouldn't be impacted by each other. In an effort to create more controversy and fabricate tales to discredit her, the media is still waging a witch hunt.

Many people pointed out that it was too late for Seo Yea Ji to apologise when she came out to own up to her immaturity as a public person. It's time to consider whether we have the moral foresight to condemn her. How does her work and other people's behaviour relate to her personal life? Blaming a woman for everything seems easier.


A celebrity’s name is a form of branding

The late Sulli claimed that it was part of their job description for celebrities to be produced and marketed like goods. Celebrity names are a type of branding in and of themselves. Their followers are likely to buy what they recommend, and their reputation is significant. That is star power, and we must admit that they did generate income from fans who would purchase anything they wore. These celebrities will receive more endorsement money the more followers they have.

Actor Kim Soo Hyun 

Keep your personal life quiet

If there is one lesson to be learnt from this documentary, it is that celebrities should keep their personal lives private. When you are a public figure, it is a prudent choice and a principle to follow. Their reputation matters, and in order to stay popular, superstars will need to practise self-control. They typically stay out of the spotlight, with the exception of publicising themselves and their work. Kim Soo Hyun is well-versed in self-expression and projecting a respectable image because celebrities like him bring attention to everything they do or say.

Byeon Woo Seok, Kim Soo Hyun, Ahn Bo Hyun at AAA Awards ceremony 

Freedom Of Speech Vs Cyberbullying 

It might be difficult to distinguish between freedom of speech and cyberbullying. Even while we can choose what we like, we must be aware that our words could potentially be construed as cyberbullying. Fans should live their lives outside of their imaginations rather than concentrating all of their attention on their idols. The well-known persons are living their own lives as well. Most people who criticise celebrities online are unhappy with their lives and have nowhere else to go than to hate other people for leading better lives than they do.

Seo Yea Ji comeback with a new agency Sublime

Mental Health Awareness 

It is impossible to tell what someone is thinking when they are depressed and thinking about ending their life. The suicide rate was high in Asian countries, particularly South Korea. The extreme stresses of life and society are wearing people out there. Anyone who wants to live outside of their country of origin must acknowledge that living overseas may not be what they had hoped for. Even though everything in the drama land can be a work of fiction, we all live in the real world. Sometimes taking a break and allowing yourself more time can be good for your mental health.

Kim Jong Hyun 

Drama has been more concerned with mental health after the Korean drama It's Okay To Not Be Okay became popular. However, talking about mental health difficulties is still discouraged in South Korea, where people are simply told to let their emotions out. Some people were so devoted to their views that they held celebrities to a high standard, despite the fact that they themselves were incapable of being such decent people. Some toxic internet users were trying to ruin other people's life because they were needy and depressed. The late Kim Jong Hyun of the popular boyband Shinee sent a suicide letter outlining his reasons for ending his own life. The fact that celebrities are regular people is something that is easily forgotten.

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