It’s no secret that K-pop is a high-pressure industry that’s rife with overworked idols and a lack of proper mental health support. While this formula has resulted in great success, it has also resulted in a lot of tragedy, the most recent incident being the death of former f(x) member Sulli.
Sulli’s untimely death is a tragic yet not uncommon narrative that happens all too frequently in K-pop: a young person is heavily groomed to behave a certain way, they achieve success and become overworked, their physical and mental health becomes neglected by their companies which results in a vicious cycle that inevitably has negative – and occasionally tragic – consequences.
With the unforgiving K-pop machine claiming yet another victim, it’s once again time to ask an oft-repeated question: when will the industry finally do something about the well-being of its idols?
It’s been reported (via Naver) that Sulli asked her label, SM Entertainment, to do something about the unrelenting wave of harassment and cyberbullying she’s experienced for years, only for the company to shrug its shoulders and basically do nothing.
Not only does this highlight how K-pop companies need to be held accountable for the wellbeing of its artists, it also shows the unrealistic expectations placed upon idols by the public and how toxic entitled fans can ultimately be if things aren’t quite to their liking.
For an industry that’s all about trying to make people feel good, the companies and fans are doing a poor job at making its idols feel human let alone feel good.
There’s been an outpouring of grief, knee-jerk reactions and moves towards action following Sulli’s death, such as the “Sulli Act” which is aimed at countering cyberbullying. And yet despite all this, it’s more than likely the industry will go through exactly the same thing that happened when SHINee singer and Sulli’s labelmate, Jonghyun, succumbed to depression and took his own life in 2017: lots of mourning and talk but no meaningful action.
For all the success K-pop is generating, it’s simply not worth the toll it takes on its idols. But sadly, this is a question the industry stubbornly refuses to answer. Perhaps things will change once the bottom line of entertainment companies becomes affected but that won’t happen if fans keep enabling this sort of behaviour by continuously supporting them despite all the unsavoury stuff that happens.
K-pop has a lot to offer but its not worth paying it any more attention – or money – until it finally sheds its current toxic parasitical guise and starts recognising its idols as living, breathing people.