Topic 1: Debuting minors in K-pop
How young is too young? With the rising popularity of K-pop, especially among teenagers, people debuting in this industry have gotten younger and younger, even as young as 12-13 years old. While these groups may be a hit among audiences within their age range, it raises concerns about the physical and mental conditions that these idols are being trained in.
Article: “A Deeper Dive Into K-pop: The Problems of Minors Debuting”
This article goes over the history of young debuts in K-pop, outlining how it has slowly become a more common practice. While young idols can strike gold if they get lucky and possess true talent, the pressure of keeping up their reputation and facing hate comments isn’t healthy for their young minds. Not only that, many are often forced to choose between education and their dream; even if they had both, they would only be allowed to attend school a couple times a year because of their strict training regimen. Companies should rethink their decisions—exploiting minors as a marketing tactic to gear them towards teenage audiences is not an ethical practice.
Quote: “Even underaged teenagers are being debuted in South Korea, becoming part of a marketing technique and trend. Debuting young means that they will remain in the industry for a longer time, possibly turning from an idol group to singers, actors, soloists, and more. Companies want to make the most out of every idol, so starting young maximizes profits.”
Topic 2: Cancel culture in K-pop
On K-pop forums, it seems like a new person is being canceled every day. Sometimes, it seems reasonable—making racist remarks as a public figure definitely warrants some reflection and education. Other times, it’s over trivial things—since when did having a girlfriend constitute sending death wreaths to the company? Idols canceled in K-pop often have their career ruined for the rest of their lives, but do they deserve that? How far is too far?
Article: “K-pop fans clash over Seunghan’s resignation from Riize: cancel culture or accountability?”
This article describes the controversy behind one idol’s pre-debut pictures of him smoking and having a girlfriend, leading to a massive hate train along with death threats. It reveals the parasocial relationship that many fans have with idols and how damaging it is to an idol’s reputation and lifestyle. Things that are considered normal in regular society are regarded as taboo in the K-pop world because fans feel that they have control over their favorite idol’s life. But no matter how much you love your idol and “want the best for them,” there is no excuse for death threats so severe that it forces an idol to resign.
Quote: ”Within the highly controlled and image-conscious world of K-pop, idols are expected to maintain a clean, wholesome demeanour, and behaviours such as smoking or being seen in romantic situations are often viewed negatively by fans because they contradict the idealised persona that idols are meant to embody.”
Topic 3: Cultural Appropriation
Where is the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation? People often have differing opinions on this topic, leading to arguments over whether someone is just “gatekeeping” their culture or are actually trying to respect its origins and people. Is it wrong to use a language that isn’t yours? Or is it the intentions that matter?