By Madison Bolt

With the rise of K-Pop, insight into the industry has begun to surface. This exposure comes from various sources, including inside reports, retired artists, ex-trainees, and even the music itself. Through all of these sources and more, fans around the world are finally starting to see the struggles that come with being a K-Pop artist.

South Korean, and other Asian countries, societies are known to prioritize and concentrate on beauty. These societal expectations and standards for beauty extend to everyday citizens and celebrities alike. As a result, both men and women feel the need to put themselves through rigorous diets. One commonly used diet in Korea is the one cup diet. This diet requires participants to fill up a small Styrofoam cup with food. The amount of food inside the cup is all they are allowed to eat for that meal. Depending on how strict the diet standards are, the small amount of food in that singular cup could be all they are allowed to eat for that day.

When looking at before and after pictures of artists, there are significantly and visibly noticeable changes in their body weight. In some, it is evident that the difference in weight is because the artist is partaking in an unhealthy diet, over-exercising, or failing to take care of themselves. Companies force these artists to learn and perform extreme choreography and practice from dusk till dawn. It is well-known that many artists have collapsed during performances or rehearsals numerous times due to exhaustion and overworking. BTS members Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook are two artists experiencing this as their reality. One has gone on an extremely unhealthy diet, and the other overworks himself to the point of collapsing.

In addition to these physical demands, K-Pop artists face scrutiny from the public and even their own companies. Being a celebrity in any part of the world, one will receive hate responses and comments that are beyond what one might consider socially and morally acceptable to say to another human being. Unfortunately, the companies that these artists sign on with have been known not to do much when it comes to helping their artists deal with these hate comments and prioritizing their mental health. This lack of support leads to artists searching for help all alone. Many of these artists resort to seeing a therapist or writing about their problems and struggles in their music.

BTS member Suga, or Agust D, wrote a song called “The Last,” which he later announced was an open letter about mental health issues he has dealt with, such as depression, OCD, and social anxiety. SHINee member Kim Jonghyun wrote the song “Lonely,” which talks about loneliness and the fear of burdening others with one’s problems. Another artist, Sunmi, is a solo singer with a song called “Borderline.” Within the piece, Sunmi reveals details about her mental health and divulges the price idols pay for their fame. She discusses her vulnerability and the pain she dealt with as she was put under a microscope by the public.

Unfortunately, there are times when it gets to the point where some artists do not have the will to continue living. In 2007, 25-year-old artist U;Nee hung herself. She had been dealing with depression, hurtful criticism, and online attacks. A few days before her death, she wrote, “I feel everything is empty. I am again walking down a path to reach a destination that I don’t know.”

In 2017, 27-year-old SHINee member Kim Jonghyun committed suicide, by carbon dioxide poisoning, due to his suffering from depression. In his last note, he revealed that he was “broken inside” and “couldn’t fight it anymore.” F(x) member Sulli, an artist who was very outspoken regarding mental health, women’s rights, and cyber-bullying, also committed suicide. Unfortunately, her activism led to her receiving intense scrutiny and online backlash, being called ugly, untalented, and other crude comments. In 2019, on October 13th or 14th, she was found dead in her apartment at only 25-years-old.

Six weeks after the death of Suli, 28-year-old female singer Goo Hara committed suicide in her home. Six months before her death, she had survived her previous attempt to take her own life. Like Sulli, Goo Hara’s private life was out in the open for the general public to see, and because of this, she faced online criticism. People used the internet to bully and slut shame her, deteriorating her self-esteem and self-image.

Since the suicides of Suli, Goo Hara, and numerous others, South Korea has come out with the Sulli Act. The purpose of this act is to tackle cyber-bullying. Hopefully, with this new act, toxic parts of the K-Pop fandom will diminish so that these young, loved, and influential artists can get the help they need while living happy and healthy lives and sharing their passion for music with others.

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