By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Entertainers are becoming a sought-after social class, with thousands of celebrity ``wanna-bes'' in society. Bae Guk-nam, the nation's top showbiz columnist, said that Korea is rapidly moving to becoming an ``Entertainers' Republic.''
The status of these people has been upgraded from being those who merely entertain people, to being worshipped celebrities. With their jaw-dropping incomes, these people are basking in the limelight of fame.
The so-called luxury market targets them and invites them to places alongside political leaders' wives or business leaders. Governmental organizations appoint them as goodwill ambassadors and ask them to promote their projects. Stars such as pop singer Rain's ticket sales or concerts in New York are splashed across the media and politicians often praise them as proud cultural ambassadors.
Teenagers and children grow up sticking up posters of movie stars or pop stars wishing to be like them. The parents, who were brought up in the times when entertainers were called just ddanddara (clown), are now vying to turn their children into those who have both wealth and fame.
Columnist Bae guessed the country with a population of some 50 million has more than a million wanna-be stars. He said that these days, becoming a movie star is one of the very few ways to join the group of ``neo-aristocrats.'' There are thousands of agencies for star-hopefuls and every year, 10,467 students graduate from 136 entertainment-related faculties nationwide to upgrade their social status.
Media outlets compete to get a glimpse of the fabulous looking lives of these people.
When world-renowned fashion model Kate Moss first showed up wearing skinny pants and a short jacket to show off her legs in 2005, no one thought Koreans, who generally have shorter legs than Westerners, would be strolling around in such attire. However, shortly after a few Hollywood stars adopted the trendsetter's style and Korean ``fashionistas'' were seen wearing them, the streets in Seoul were crammed with women wearing the skinny jeans ― no matter how long or skinny their legs were.
This ``canbe'' attitude ― rooted from the English phrase ``can be,'' which stands for people who aspire to celebrity status ― has become highly characteristic amongst youngsters now.
According to an online part-time job-searching engine alba.co.kr, half of 380 university students said they are always conscious of fashion. They said they would like to be like their favorite entertainers. They said everything ― the clothes, accessories, hairstyles, diet tips and even cosmetic surgery ― of their idols has become theirs too.
``We see the flamboyant side of showbiz and dreams of becoming one of them,'' Kim Yong-woon of the online media outlet Joynews said. ``Everything has two sides. We don't blame these stars being highly treated, but I hope people wouldn't be lured by its outline only. Taking after their expensive lifestyles can be truly meaningless and sometimes dangerous. In most cases, what they have is pure fantasy,'' he added.