Korean pop or K-Pop which has a huge fan following across the world has been in the news in recent times for all the wrong reasons. As disturbing news continue to break, the murky inner world of this entertainment industry stands exposed.
Within a month's gap, two top female K-Pop artists committed suicide. While 28-year-old Goo Hara was found dead in her apartment in Seoul on November 24, Sulli was found dead in her apartment on October 14. While the suicides are still being discussed, a South Korean court, on Friday, sentenced K-Pop stars Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon to six and five years in prison for gang raping drunk unconscious women. This, unfortunately, is just one of the several sex abuse scandals that have rocked the industry in recent times. According to a report in BBC, Judge Kang Seong-soo said that 30-year-old Jung had raped women who were "drunk and unable to resist, filmed them nude and having sex, then spread it on a group chat".
Spy cam videos
Jung and Choi's case and the issue of spy cam victims assumes greater significance in the wake of Goo Hara's suicide—she made news last year when she took ex-boyfriend Choi Jong-bum to court for assaulting her and threatening to release a video of the couple having sex. While he was sentenced to one-and-half years in prison, it was Goo who had to face the weight of it. Goo did not have it easy in the South Korean entertainment industry with its impossible demands of 'clean image' standards. According to reports, during her legal dispute with Choi, her Korean agency did not renew her contract.
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Across the world, it is normal for celebrities to constantly be under the media glare, and be judged for every action. K-Pop artists, however, have to keep up with outrageous demands—both from the agencies and from fans. They have to stick to strict rules that include dating bans, and extreme diet plans. Social media activity is also hugely monitored. For female artists, there are many more unsaid rules that have to followed in the strictly patriarchal South Korean society. Sulli, who was said to be close to Goo, was often the victim of social media bullying for speaking up against misogyny. When Sulli was found dead, Goo bid farewell in a live-streamed video. Within two days, she posted a selfie on Instagram, and captioned it 'Good night'. This was Goo's last Instagram post.
Burning Sun Scandal
The BBC reported that there are more than 11,200 spy camera cases reported to South Korean police in the last two years. The Burning Sun Scandal, also known as the Burning Gate, is one of the biggest sex scandals to have rocked the South Korean entertainment industry this year. It involved several celebrities, including K-Pop artists. Conviction of Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon also comes as part of the investigation into this scandal. The Burning Sun Club in Seoul was the seat of rape, trafficking and drug abuse. Jung and Choi were found to be part of a group chat that dealt with procuring woman, illicit recordings and blackmail. In the span of one month, four major stars apologised and announced early retirement after being linked to the group chat.