Kim Sae-ron Suicide Case | The Dark Side of K-Pop: Why Are So Many Korean Stars Killing Themselves?
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00:00South Korea has a major problem brewing in its entertainment industry.
00:18K-pop stars and actors have been in the news of late, and not for the reason that you might
00:22think.
00:23Kim Sae-ron, an actress known for her role in Bloodhounds, was found dead at her residence
00:27in Seoul, according to South Korean police agencies.
00:30The actress died by suicide, and she was only 24 years old.
00:34This is not an isolated incident.
00:36Over the years, several Korean stars have made this devastating decision.
00:40But what exactly has led to these stars making such decisions?
00:43It might come as a surprise to Korean culture fans, who are drawn to this kind of content
00:48for their cutesy and bright aesthetic.
00:50But the Korean entertainment industry is not just sunshine and rainbows.
00:54It has a dark side.
00:55While music in movies and dramas bring comfort and happiness to several people around the
00:59globe, at the end of the day, it is the money that is the driving factor behind this industry.
01:04In order to maximize their profits, artists are bound to entertainment companies in almost
01:08slave-like contracts.
01:10Budding K-pop artists, also known as trainees, are signed into companies when they are just
01:1412 years old, in some cases.
01:16And from then on, companies groom them into idols.
01:18They control their diets, their love lives, as well as their behavior in public.
01:23Several K-pop artists have been involved in legal battles over these slave contracts.
01:27For example, Kris and Luhan from EXO sued SM Entertainment, one of Korea's biggest
01:31entertainment companies, for mistreatment and discrimination.
01:35In 2024, the girl band New Genes announced that they were quitting their label, Adore,
01:39describing their situation as mistreatment.
01:42While it is easy to blame the industry for the extreme decisions taken by some idols,
01:46the other side of the stage is equally to be blamed for this problem.
01:50Celebrities have developed an increasingly bizarre parasocial relationship with idols
01:53and actors.
01:54Sometimes, celebrities would be cancelled for something as simple as having a lover,
01:58reading feminist books, or just having hobbies.
02:00For example, one of Korea's most famous K-pop celebrities, Red Velvet's Irene, was cancelled
02:05for reading a feminist book, Kim Ji-young, born in 1982.
02:09Fans reacted negatively, criticizing, insulting, and denouncing Irene on online communities.
02:14Some went as far as burning or destroying photos of her.
02:18While the cyberbullying did not get to Irene in particular, there have been several incidents
02:22where the idols were not that lucky.
02:23Sulli, a former member of the K-pop band fx, and a celebrated actress, was found dead in
02:28an apparent suicide at the age of 25.
02:31She had been the target of harsh online scrutiny and cyberbullying.
02:33She was also known for being an outspoken women's rights activist.
02:37Kim Jong-hyun, who was just 27, was the main vocalist of the band SHINee.
02:41He was found unconscious in his apartment and later pronounced dead.
02:44He was battling depression.
02:46All of these incidents make us realize that social media is not a veil for us to hide
02:49behind to be mean to people.
02:51The next time you want to leave a hate comment or just troll celebrities on the internet,
02:54remind yourself that the object of your hatred can lead to a decision, which can lead to
02:59a devastating end.
03:00You have the power to not make that comment and just scroll away.