t/n: 우쭈쭈 = kind of affectionate act you put on with a kid showing admiration and love
The current growth of the K-pop market as a sector of the industry can be largely attributed to the influence of fandoms that have continuously consumed this market. These fans no longer simply support their favorite artists but also create secondary content, make social donations in the name of their fandom, and actively lead the K-pop market.
However, the brighter the light, the darker the shadow. As the scale and influence of fandoms grow, negative aspects also follow. Some malicious fandoms not only attack artists but also invade the privacy of agency staff, engage in cyberbullying, leak personal information, and go beyond acceptable behavior.
The problem is that the response to similar types of damage varies greatly between K-pop idols and agency staff. When idol group members suffer from malicious comments and rumors, agencies immediately take action, but when agency staff members are harmed, the response is often to turn a blind eye. From the perspective of the victims, they can only accept it as “painful growing pains.”
Cyber terror
Case 1. A, who works at an entertainment company, was woken up late at night by a call from an anonymous number. What they heard through the receiver were insults and abusive language telling them to change the hairstyle and outfit of the fan’s bias member.
Case 2. B is a manager for an idol group. Recently, they were shocked to see fans leaving malicious comments on their personal SNS account, and even following their friends to leave comments on their photos.
Case 3. C works in public relations at a small entertainment agency. They feel uneasy about fans protesting in front of the company, staging truck protests, and sending condolence wreaths as a form of aggressive protest.
Malicious comments and personal attack
Case 4. D works in a video production team at an agency. They feel disillusioned by the malicious comments from fans who criticized him for adding subtitles or background music that didn’t fit the concept of the idol members. D said, “While I consider fans’ opinions when creating content, I cannot satisfy every fan’s taste,” and added, “Excessive criticism kills the creative spirit.”
Human rights violations
Case 5. E, who works at an agency, was harassed by fans after admitting to an artist’s dating rumors. E expressed their frustration with the protests, saying, “The decision was made after carefully considering the company’s position and the member’s wishes,” and lamented the excessive protests based on unfounded speculations, which came in the form of phone calls and emails.
In addition, there have been cases where individuals face overwhelming damage, such as fan managers, who are responsible for the safety of fandom during live broadcasts, being unilaterally criticized for too friendly with fans, or cases where bombarded emails are sent to agency executives pressuring them to resign or even mentioning family members’ personal details.
An entertainment industry insider stated, “In large agencies, there are dedicated teams that handle fan complaints and feedback via the agency’s website. However, in small and medium-sized agencies, direct communication with the fandom is necessary. There are cases where individuals are targeted by having their personal or agency phone numbers leaked online, leading to coordinated harm.” However, agencies, being in a position where they need to market to their fandom, are often reluctant to take legal action due to concerns over retaliatory actions from fans and potential damage to the company’s image. Attorney Seon Jong-moon pointed out, “Some agency representatives may support the legal costs for employees who have been harmed, but this is extremely rare. In the end, it is the individual who suffers who must prepare for legal action themselves.”
Moreover, the mental health care for agency employees affected by such incidents is not being properly addressed. A K-pop industry insider shared, “In the past, when an employee who was overly har****ed by fans was struggling, the CEO offered to arrange counseling if the employee wanted. However, it is safe to say that there are almost no domestic entertainment companies with a systematic system in place for this.”
Despite the current global stature of K-pop, the treatment of agency employees remains poor. The lack of legal support and mental health management systems needs to be discussed in the future. However, it’s also important to reflect on whether what fandoms consider ‘just and peaceful criticism’ is truly fair and peaceful in practice.
Just as your artist is precious, agency employees are also someone’s cherished family. It’s crucial to remember that blind love for your “bias” can ultimately return as a form of “abuse of power.” Now that K-pop has emerged as a global culture, there is an urgent need for a more mature fandom culture that matches its stature. It’s time to reflect on how to truly love your artist, not with blind “fanaticism,” but with rational “fandom.”
original post: here
1. Then do your work properly. You’re getting hated on, but you’re also getting paid to do the work, why should we view you prettily if you work like a dog?
2. What’s funny is that they’re now expecting us to baby the employees to?
3. Do you think we do this in vain? In the end, the fans are the ones spending money ㅋㅋ
4. What kind of article is this?? Of course we’re fangirling on the artist, why do I need to baby even the employees?
5. No but it’s true that terrorizing the employees online and finding their personal information is freaking oba…? Are people even reading this article?
6. The double standard is indeed very clear ㅋㅋ
7. Some of those cases are indeed overboard. Why would you mention family members and follow their friends and swear at them in the comments?
8. Look at the comments here, it proves the point of the article ㅋㅋ Nobody is telling you to not swear at the company. But violating human rights is a crime ㅋㅋ ㅜㅜ
9. Can people actually read the article before leaving comments please….
10. The comments here complete the articleㅋㅋ
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