No wonder K-pop fans troll their favourite stars for marrying – to them, they are virtual boyfriends and girlfriends

By Han Jeongmun and David Tizzard In a country with one of the world’s lowest birth rates, it might be expected that the news of a beloved celebrity announcing plans for marriage and hinting that a child was also on the way would be welcomed with open arms. But not in South Korea. And not for a K-pop idol. Chen, a member of one of the country’s most successful K-pop groups, Exo, recently announced his upcoming marriage on social media and hinted that a baby was on the way, yet much of the response from fans was toxic and unpleasant. Many called on him to leave the group and said they felt betrayed. Such negative comments should not be taken lightly; the recent suicides of K-pop stars Sulli and Goo Hara have been linked to the negative treatment they received online. Twitter was filled with hashtags retweeted in the tens of thousands wildly criticising Chen – whose real name is Kim Jong-dae – for his perceived crimes and inconsiderate behaviour. The atmosphere, as is often the case, was full of self-righteousness and a lack of humility and consideration. Things went a step further when the official Exo fan group released a statement demanding Chen leave the group, saying that they could “no longer support him” and that “his arbitrary actions were damaging the group’s reputation”. The fan group, known as Exo-L Ace Union, have warned that they will carry out protests in response and expect action from Exo’s agency, SM Entertainment. Remember that this does not involve drugs, sexual misadventure or violence. It’s a marriage. And Chen’s situation is not the first. Singer Sunye was once the leader of Wonder Girls, but left the band to marry her husband and raise her two daughters in Canada. And instead of supporting her young family, internet users spoke out angrily at the hurt and lack of loyalty she had shown. The same treatment was given to Super Junior’s Sungmin when he married his wife in 2014. He was accused of mistreating his fans and his return to the group was opposed by an army of online commentators. To those of us who are not devoted and committed fans, what is there to be mad about? Are marriage and the birth of a baby not something to celebrate? Can you spot BTS’ Suga on Halsey’s new ‘Manic’ album? The disappointment and anger can be explained by how the K-pop industry operates. It is a manifestation of how the relationships between artists (in the loosest sense) and fans are formed, as well as the consumption of the idol as a product. Many K-pop artists are created as products: mere merchandise made by an entertainment company. This is done to attract as many fans as possible and generate profits for the company. Rather than expressing themselves freely and naturally, many simply follow the orders of the company – something not that unusual in South Korea’s hierarchical society. People inside the industry also speak openly of the “services” their entertainment company provides – a form of surrogate dating. A virtual boyfriend or girlfriend experience created for the fans. Moreover, because the ideal K-pop formula is a group (normally around five to nine members, but sometimes as many as 17), individuality is not a key component. The key is for trainees to adjust themselves to the tone of the collective – even if it clashes with their own personality or wishes. Tensions therefore emerge when an individual member is forced to choose between their own path and that of the group, either artistically, personally, or otherwise. This will always be a concern. It is not necessarily unique to K-pop. However, it does demonstrate why Chen has had to face criticism from so-called “fansumers” for having the temerity to follow his own path rather than that of his band mates. The fansumer culture arrived in line with social media, providing a platform for their voices to be heard and a generational shift away from the boomers and millennial and Generation Z consumers. Being a pop idol, a TV star, or a celebrity is mostly about maintaining your popularity – this is achieved by winning the public’s attention, interest and love. Losing this popularity as a celebrity is, then, the same as a company losing customers. Celebrities are expected to make choices which will please the public. Rather than “loving themselves”, they are forced to adjust to the wants and needs of the consumers: the fans. And whenever a celebrity does something that fans have not previously consented to – such as Han Ye-seul’s recent nose piercing or Gong Hyo-jin’s tattoos – they can expect a great deal of criticism. This is not an issue of right or wrong. It’s about consumers coming to terms with changes in the products in which they have invested. In this case, idols. Chen’s marriage announcement shattered not only the expectations of his fans, it also broke the virtual dating relationship many had with him that had been created by his entertainment company. It was also seen as an act that put his own individual life above that of the group – he failed to recognise his commitments to his teammates and the fans. Thus, from an economic perspective, it is only natural that consumers turned their backs on him. Taemin’s exemplary K-pop career, from Shinee to SuperM To be an “idol” is to forgo the chance to be an independent or autonomous artist. Instead, one becomes a product: merchandise that is sold as part of a total fantasy package created by some of the smartest and richest companies in the country. But Chen is not the problem. And the fans are not the problem. The problem is that K-pop creates products which don’t always go as planned and the fansumers then voice their disappointment on social media which does not filter or censor even the most lurid of opinions. Read the full story at the Korea Times