Behind the scenes in the world of K-pop

The South KoreanK-pop, I had vaguely heard of it once, but I didn't really know it. BTS? No idea. But in the meantime, this band sold out Ziggo Dome and is being called the biggest boy band of the century, even matching The Beatles' record in the charts. And then you know: K-pop is big. I may not be the target audience, but K-pop is taking over the world.

What strikes me is that K-pop seems to be surrounded by quite dark news. Last weekend it was revealed that Goo Hara committed suicide in her own home, a little six months after she had already attempted this. Last month, Sulli took her own life, a good friend of Hara. Earlier in 2017, K-pop singer Kim Jong-Hyun committed suicide. And what stands out is that they were all quite open about their depressions.

With the second suicide in a short time, the K-pop world is turned upside down. According to experts, this is the result of the ‘hard world’ it is said to be. Hara and Sulli were good friends, but Hara could not attend her funeral due to concert obligations. It is also said that Hara was forced to return to work as soon as possible after her first suicide attempt.

Then there are also the tensions with North Korea that are escalating, causing South Korea to feel compelled to enforce conscription more strictly. It sometimes happens that top athletes are an exception to the rule and do not have to complete their military service. BTS a.k.a. the Bangtan Boys tried the same, but they have less luck; they must report for service by their twenty-eighth birthday. One of them (Kim Seok-Jin) is already twenty-seven and must report soon.

By the way, K-pop bands do not seem to spontaneously arise among jamming friends: there are gigantic auditions in South Korea to assemble the groups. The ‘lucky ones’ are drilled quite hard, and training sixteen hours a day is more the rule than the exception. In addition, a very strict diet is in order, and they are often kindly but firmly requested to undergo some plastic surgery procedures here and there. Because a K-pop superstar must be perfect.

Source: The New York Times