Many people are confused, even dumbfounded, when they witness the apologies of Kpop idols just because their love affairs were “exposed”. Even though we are in the modern era, accepting idols dating seems to be very difficult for Kpop fans.
Recently, there was a stir over the news that a member of the musician group Aespa – Karina had to write a handwritten letter to apologize to fans for dating actor Lee Jae Wook. Because before that, the female singer was involved in an extremely harsh “boycott”, fans even rented cars to put up a series of banners criticizing her for daring to betray their trust.
Through this incident, public opinion became even more harsh about the excessive harshness of the Kpop entertainment industry. Many viewers believe that Karina does not need to apologize for her love life because it is a normal human need.
On community pages for Kpop fans, questions are asked: “They are also human beings, they also need to date, get married and have children. That’s how life works? Why do these fans So noisy and annoying?”. Even the selfish actions of criticizing Karina just for dating are considered silly, but writing a handwritten letter of apology also makes the audience who are not Kpop fans feel strange and feel sorry for the female idol herself.
In fact, in the Kpop industry, it is not uncommon for idols to apologize to fans for falling in love. Many famous stars have had to publicly apologize just because their dating stories were “exposed” such as: Kang Daniel – Jihyo (Twice), or Momo (Twice) had to write a 4-page handwritten letter of apology for dating. With Heechul (Super Junior), even the leader of SNSD’s famous g.irl group, Taeyeon, had to apologize for daring to fall in love.
Not only idols but also some actors are criticized for dating, for example, Lee Jong Suk also had to appease fans with a letter after it was revealed that he was dating IU.
The common point of most Korean artists, especially Kpop idols who have to write letters of apology, is that they “revealed” their love affairs at the hottest time of their careers. Sorry, dating can be a strange story for many people, but there’s a reason why. For many fans who love Korean idols, they think that artists are just public figures, not allowed to have relationships, because fans have spent a lot of m.oney to help support and help the idol expand their influence.
Some people also explain that apologizing is to keep fans, to continue making m.oney. If you don’t apologize, you will lose many fans. “Idol is a profession that sells images. In the midst of fierce competition among many music groups, Karina goes on dates. Diehard fans spend a lot of m.oney buying items, albums, going to concerts… They are angry for a reason.” , a netizen commented.
In Korea, more than a decade ago, it was a common practice for Kpop management companies to ban their emerging stars from dating and even confiscate personal cell phones. Famous idols have reason to be cautious, especially with passionate fans. Admitting to having an affair often causes them to face scandals. Because of too much scrutiny from fans, most Korean artists rarely share details about their personal lives.
In the Kpop industry, an idol’s career depends heavily on their public image, and dating controversies can have a profound impact on their work.
Many Korean stars also believe that marriage will make them lose their reputation. For them, losing popularity means losing fans who bring them economic benefits. According to many opinions, the audience believes that idols’ dating will be accepted more easily when they have a big career and a large number of die-hard fans, at least they are not too dependent on c.razy fans. The level of negativity can be reduced.
