Looking at the dark side of K-pop -

K-pop stars seem to embody perfection. They’re never seen without immaculately curated looks and dazzling smiles. They make millions and have armies of dedicated fans. However, the glamour is only surface level.

Record companies have reduced success to an exact science, and in some extreme cases this has seriously harmed the mental and physical health of beloved pop stars. With numerous scandals relating to suicides, drugs, and anorexia surfacing in recent years, it’s becoming clear that there’s something wrong with the system. Click through the following gallery to learn more about the dark side of K-pop.

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Starting young -

Potential stars are poached from dance classes and competitions at a young age and put straight into rigorous training programs. They leave their families and live with fellow trainees.

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Lack of freedom -

Way from the band Pop Crayon reported that she was barely able to see her family while she was a trainee. Trainees were even required to hand their cell phones over to the record company.

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"Slave contracts" - When they are signed by a label, this entails contracts that can be more than a decade long. They are often called
"slave contracts" because they leave the future star with very little control or financial gain.

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Financial control -

The pop stars are indebted to the record companies, who pay for all of their expenses such as accommodation, travel, wardrobe, beauty, training etc. Their earnings are supposed to cover these expenses, but if they aren’t earning enough then they owe the company the excess. Way from Pop Crayon shared how she once had to sell some possessions, including her piano, just to survive.

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Harsh training -

The training schedules are all consuming and unforgiving. The trainees get up for dance practice before school at 5:30 am, and spend the rest of the day dancing, singing, learning how to walk, how to model, and taking English lessons. Apparently it's common to pass out from exhaustion.

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Harsh training -

Even children who hope to become pop stars someday follow a strict regime. In this photo, nine-year-old K-pop hopeful Kim Si-yoon takes part in a dance class in Seoul. Every day she wakes up for school at 7:30 am. School is followed by voice training and dance classes, and she ends the day with extra tutoring before falling into bed at midnight.

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Harsh training -

Band members from Pop Crayon were made to wear 4 kg (9 lbs) sandbags on their feet during dance practice, so their movements would look lighter when they dance on stage.

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Beauty standards -

K-pop trainees are expected to follow rigorous diet and exercise routines. This is heavily controlled by their trainers, and is essential for their success. One woman who went through K-pop bootcamp reported that the "overweight" trainees sometimes had their meals removed and only received water.

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Beauty standards -

If a prospective star has features that are considered lacking, they’ll quite likely be given plastic surgery to correct them. Both male and female stars undergo extensive surgeries without shame to reach the ideal standard.

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Beauty standards -

Plastic surgery in is common and spoken about openly. Many stars happily post their before and after photos online.

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Eating disorders - The intense focus on body image, along with daily weigh-ins and diet restrictions enforced by many record labels, has resulted in eating disorders in many K-pop stars.

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Eating disorders -

JinE from the band Oh My Girl stopped performing in 2017 to recover from anorexia. It was reported that she had struggled with the disorder since her debut, and finally had to leave the band when she required intensive medical treatment. She was 21 years old.

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Eating disorders -

Himchan from B.A.P. has also struggled with eating disorders for years. He was reportedly rushed to the hospital in 2017 with a broken rib caused by malnutrition and sudden rapid weight loss.

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Eating disorders -

There are many other confirmed and suspected cases of eating disorders in the K-pop world. There is so much stigma surrounding mental health issues that it's unlikely many stars would speak out about it. It also puts their perfect wholesome image at risk.

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Restrictions on relationships -

K-pop band members aren’t usually allowed to date while under contract. Record companies theorize that being single makes them appear more available to fans, resulting in a more dedicated and lucrative fan base. Some contracts even have a relationship clause specifically forbidding dating.

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Restrictions on relationships -

Fans are often outraged when their favorite band member goes public with a relationship. They tend to think of them like virtual boyfriends or girlfriends, and take this as a betrayal. For instance, fans of Chen from Exo turned on him when he announced his marriage in January 2020.

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Restrictions on relationships -

Exo's official fan group made a statement that they wanted him removed from the band, as his selfish actions were damaging the band's reputation. They claimed they would protest if the record label didn't take action.

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Restrictions on relationships -

It’s believed that K-pop bands are usually all male or all female to avoid such issues. In theory, the fans won’t be suspicious about relationships between band members. This is effective in an industry where almost no one is openly gay.

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LGBTQ restrictions - The restrictions on LGBTQ stars are even more oppressive. They are strongly advised not to come out publicly due to the impact it would have on their personal ‘brand,’ and therefore their value. Only one K-pop star has come out as gay so far, and not without controversy.

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LGBTQ restrictions -

The singer Holland debuted his first album as an openly gay K-pop star, against the wishes of his record label. In 2018, he released the music video of his song ‘Neverland,’ which depicted a same-sex couple. He was advised that the video would have a age 19+ viewer rating in South Korea due to the kiss scene.

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LGBTQ restrictions -

Many fans enjoy the fantasy of same-sex relationships within bands. Female fans write romantic fan fiction about their favorite boy band members. The bands are encouraged to be close in public, almost flirtatious with each other, but never to cross the line. It must remain a fantasy to be acceptable.

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Toxic fandom -

The possessive attitude of the fans is encouraged because it drives business, but it often has a negative impact on the lives of pop stars.

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Toxic fandom -

When Lisa from Blackpink did a photo shoot in a café in Bangkok, the owner attempted to sell all of the cutlery she touched, as well as the toilet seat she used.

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Toxic fandom - Many female K-pop stars suffer disproportionately at the hands of their fans. A strictly wholesome image is created for them. They are meant to appear sexy, but also naive and inexperienced. When a star breaks this mold, they are attacked online, often by anonymous male users. This was the case for multiple women who took their own lives in recent years.

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K-Pop deaths -

Sulli, a former member of f(x), went against the K-pop norms. That is to say, she didn’t hide her relationship with her boyfriend, and sometimes didn't wear a bra. She committed suicide in 2019, after suffering serious cyber abuse from a toxic fan base. She began her career at the age of 11 and died at 25.

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K-Pop deaths -

Singer Goo-hara from the girl band Kara also committed suicide in 2019, six weeks after Sulli. The two women were friends and both suffered vicious online attacks for their honesty on social media. More outrageous is that Goo-hara's death was sparked by her ex-boyfriend threatening to release a sex video he filmed without her consent.

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K-Pop deaths -

While women are attacked more viciously on social media, the pressures of the industry impact everyone. Kim Jong-hyun from SHINee took his own life in 2017. His suicide note was released by a friend. He spoke of being engulfed by depression, and implored readers: "Please tell me I did a good job."

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Mental illness in South Korea -

Unfortunately, there is still an intense stigma surrounding mental illness in South Korea, and pop stars are discouraged to speak out about it. South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the developed world, but the lowest use of antidepressants. This indicates how difficult it can be to get help.

Follow this link to find out which stars are raising awareness about mental illness.

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