K-pop has been very successful globally, and K-pop idols have charmed millions of people around the world. An idol’s role in the K-pop industry is to keep their fans infatuated with them and make their fans feel special. In many cases, most fans feel a sense of entitlement towards their favorite idols and feel that idols must always value and show the utmost love to their fans.
Most idols keep their personal lives private for fear of upsetting their fans, and creating a bad image for themselves. However, in some cases idols will share their dating lives with their fans which usually backfires. Karina from girl group Aespa announced how she was officially dating actor Lee Jae-Wook in which fans unleashed a crazy amount of hate towards both artists.
“She a grown woman that’s like 22/23. I don’t know why people tryna hate on her for literally, TALKING/DATING a guy that she’s only known for a month like why are you hating she can live her own life however she wants, fans try to control idols and their private lives and relationships like these people don’t know you and don’t owe you anything.” Thalia, a 12th grader who has a strong opinion on respecting an idol’s private life and has a bone to pick with disrespectful fans said.
As of recently, on April 2nd, a month after their dating announcement, actor Lee Jae-wook and Aespa’s idol Karina, announced their break up. 3 weeks prior, Karina had apologized to her fans for dating Lee Jae-Wook, after many idols had expressed their hate towards Karina by sending trucks to Aespa’s agency building stating,
“ Karina, is the love that fans are giving you not enough? Why have you chosen to betray your fans? Apologize right away. If not, we will show you how your album sales will free fall and your concert’s seats will be emptied out.”
Seungchan from RIIZE is another victim of fan entitlement and hate. In november 2023, K-pop boy group RIIZE announced that their member Seungchan will be going on an indefinite hiatus, until further notice. Picture leaks of Seungchan’s life before debuting as an idol were causing mass controversies. The pictures displayed Seungchan with a woman in an intimate setting which was enough to anger fans into sending trucks to RIIZE’s agency building asking for his removal of the group.
“I don’t believe they should’ve been a reason he was put on hiatus. Most of the pictures didn’t have anything bad or incriminating and were just pictures of him and his girlfriend. Companies should stop catering so much to fans and realize that idols deserve some freedoms. It is breeding a toxic environment for the idols since they can’t really enjoy their lives because of the weird fans that believe that idols belong to them. However, I do think that he maybe should have been put on a hiatus for the controversial thing with Soobin (like how ppl think they were dissing Eunchae) but this is all based of translations and multiple people had different translations. so international fans who don’t speak korean don’t know which translation to believe. If he were to be put on hiatus for this topic I don’t believe it should have been that long,” Alourdes, a 12th grader and RIIZE fan said.
There are many people who agree that Seungchan did nothing wrong and that fans should stop spreading misinformation that can ruin Seungchan and RIIze’s image. Seungchan was spotted recently looking at billboards for RIIZE’s new comeback, reading notes placed on the billboard of fans who want Seungchan to return to RIIZE.
Being in the public eye will always bring hate however, these adored stars shouldn’t always be shining in the spotlight for every