K-pop: Can #MeToo go too far?

By Jun Hannah

When I was interviewed by News ChannelAsia about the hallyu phenomenon ― or Korean wave ― two months ago, the host asked me what I thought was the reason behind K-pop’s success. At the time, I gave both a technical and sentimental answer. First, I argued that the foundation for K-pop’s success was the ability to distribute terrific content on a global scale, thanks largely to digitization.

But textbook answers aside, I said that there is something about hallyu in general and K-pop in particular that has been able to move the hearts of fans from around the world. Even though lyrics are written and performed in Korean, K-pop has been catapulted by massive fandoms that have transcended national boundaries. Having been able to elicit such an emotional response on a global level has been one of K-pop’s biggest achievements.

But there is always a flipside to celebrity status. Stardom is accompanied by greater public scrutiny, and evidence of behavior that deviates from a carefully crafted, squeaky clean image can quickly result in emotional and even unforgiving responses. I argue that this is more the case in our hypersensitive #MeToo culture, where emotional judgments may be made in the absence of (or despite) hard facts.

Looking over the past year, two cases stand out in my mind. The first is that of Park Yu-chun. Park was accused of four separate sexual assault charges in 2016, with the court ruling that the accusers who yelled #MeToo brought forth bogus claims. Park then pursued legal action against his first accuser. There, the court handed down prison sentences of between 18 and 24 months for false accusation and attempted blackmail for his accuser and two men who assisted her in the blackmail scheme. A second accuser sued for false accusation and defamation was found not guilty in both the first and second trials. But despite the outcomes of the trials, the nature of the allegations and courtroom drama have resulted in heavy damage to Park’s reputation.

A more recent case is that of SHINee’s Onew. Onew faced sexual harassment allegations last August after drunkenly touching a woman’s legs three times at a Gangnam club, supposedly mistaking her leg for a pole as he tried to keep balance. SM Entertainment stated this to be “a case of misunderstanding that stemmed from unintended physical contact, whereby [the accuser] realized her misconstruction of the situation and withdrew the accusation of her own accord.” Following police interrogation and an apology to the victim, the Gangnam Police Station passed the case over to the prosecution as a recommendation for indictment without detention.

Captured from SHINee’s Onew SNS / Korea Times file

A cursory review of the facts would conclude that serious intoxication led to unintentional but unwanted physical contact. This in itself is a serious offense and was the basis for Onew’s handwritten apology to SHINee fans last December.

But what I found appalling was a news editorial that likened Onew, who (as far as I have researched) has not faced similar allegations in the past, to Harvey Weinstein, a man whose predatory behavior has been chronicled by over 80 women from as early as the 1970s. This, along with reports that some called for Onew’s exit from SHINee and returned Onew-related memorabilia on his birthday, leads me to question whether the response has been fueled by cool heads or hyped-up emotionalism.

The danger with our #MeToo culture is that the benefit of the doubt is given to the accuser and accusations against the accused are essentially convictions. The accused are no longer innocent until proven guilty, due process is often lost, and fabricated or exaggerated claims may result in lasting reputational damage. While digitization and fandoms have supported K-pop’s phenomenal growth over the years, these same elements (in addition to anti-fandoms and over-sensationalized media outlets) may also spur its demise.

For the record, I have no affiliation with a fandom or anti-fandom. I am just an individual who cares not only about empowering genuine victims of sexual harassment and assault, but also cautioning against potential defamation for those who have been falsely (or exaggeratedly) accused. If the #MeToo movement is really about instigating meaningful change in awareness and behavior, it needs to move from accusation to rehabilitation ― something that will require more than a hash tag.

Jun Hannah, Ph.D. (hannahjun@ewha.ac.kr) is director of the Center for Global Social Responsibility (CGSR) and professor of International Business at Ewha’s Graduate School of International Studies, specializing in corporate sustainability and branding strategy.