Korean stars vulnerable to excessive public outrage

Actors Ji-soo, from left, Seo Yea-ji, and Cho Byeong-kyu lost upcoming projects or advertising deals after facing scandals. Courtesy of Keyeast Entertainment, tvN and HB Entertainment

Several celebrities see careers take tailspin as fans subject them to higher moral and ethical standards

By Lee Gyu-lee

The support and adoration of fans can be a double-edged sword for celebrities. Public attention plays a vital role in stars achieving success in the entertainment industry; but the excessive curiosity fans display can be problematic at the same time, since it can lead to their sudden downfall.

Rising stars Cho Byeong-kyu, Park Hye-soo, and Ji-soo faced bullying accusations that forced them to forfeit upcoming or ongoing projects. Cho had to leave the reality show, "Come Back Home," in which he was set to star, while Park's new series, "Dear M," was canceled just before its premiere. Ji-soo had to step down from the series, "River Where the Moon Rises," while the show was still running.

Bullying allegations were not the only scandals that damaged the careers of stars. Actress Seo Yea-ji has been making headlines with her past romantic relationships and issues such as rude behavior to support staff, which caused her to lose lucrative advertising deals.

The fate of stars in Korea who have faced "cyber lynchings" for alleged misconduct stands in stark contrast to what happens to Hollywood celebrities.

American actor Joaquin Phoenix cursed at his cinematographer on the set of the film, "Joker," and British actress Lilly James had an affair with married actor Dominic West. But those incidents barely affected their flourishing careers.

Then what is the reason behind the contrasting reactions of fans?

Park Hye-soo's new KBS series, "Dear M," was canceled after she was accused of bullying in school. Courtesy of KBS

Conformity and obedience

Song Jae-ryong, a sociology professor at Kyung Hee University, reasoned that celebrities here sometimes fall victim to high expectations in a collective society like Korea where conformity and obedience are valued and being different is frowned upon.

"Koreans have a strong tendency to take sides (as a group)… especially putting those from different social groups on the opposite side," the professor said. Song added that this leads people to be less understanding or accepting of those who are different from the majority.

"Because celebrities stand out and draw the public's attention, people have adverse feelings toward how their lives are different, and tend to be less tolerant of any perceived moral or ethical misconduct."

Pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik added that a collective social structure places moral standards above an individual's privacy, subjecting publically known figures to a strict code of conduct.

"Because Koreans value social and ethical norms before privacy, we tend to prioritize the social impact of a person's actions," he said. "Also, Korea has a centralized media structure ― although it is changing with the emergence of social media and digital media outlets ―, so if the issues are raised by a few media outlets, they spread quickly and have a huge impact (on the public)."

Consequences of voyeuristic reality shows

So-called "observational reality" shows that offer voyeuristic glimpses into the lives of celebrities have always existed in the TV business. But recently, such shows have become more prevalent, tackling a wide range of issues from marriage and parenting, such as TV Chosun's "Taste of Wife," to single and professional lives as in like tvN's "On & Off."

Such candid peeks into the private lives of celebrities broadcast in the name of entertainment triggers excessive curiosity among viewers. And as celebrities displaying "good" manners in their everyday lives are praised by viewers, their acting talent become less of a concern.

A scene from TV reality show "On & Off," which shows the personal lives of celebrities outside of their work. Courtesy of tvN

K-pop duo TVXQ's U-Know Yunho was one of the favored celebrities for his jovial personality. His hardworking, kindhearted traits seen in TV reality shows continued to draw fans until the singer faced a backlash when he was caught violating social distancing rules last month. News of his misconduct damaged his squeaky-clean image overnight and he ended up facing a barrage of criticism from local fans. He stepped down from the audition show, "Kingdom," and advertisers were quick to show him the door.

Critic Kim said such an emphasis on good behavior could end up haunting celebrities, as viewers may have an intense feeling of betrayal following news of any misconduct involving them.

"Because they market a certain image to raise their value, (celebrities) are met with bigger criticism when the public figures out the image was a sham, so people could become angrier and express their opinions more strongly," he said.

Issues with social media

With the growing use of social media, scandals and even rumors spread quickly. Professor Song said the tendency of Koreans to aggregate in groups could also be reflected in how they react to celebrity scandals spread on social media.

"The tendency of Korean people to form groups and rally around issues can be seen online," he said. "So when an unpleasant issue surfaces, it spirals rapidly as people are quick to come together to voice their opinions on the matter."

And as the public's negative opinion snowballs against a celebrity online, TV networks and businesses respond by cutting ties.

"In a close-knit society, social media has become a means to easily incite public opinion," critic Kim added. "As a result, corporations take prompt action by canceling advertising deals with celebrities, for example, to distance themselves early from negative opinions."

K-pop singer U-Know Yunho was removed from commercials after he was caught violating social distancing rules in March. Courtesy of JTBC

Another pop culture critic, Ha Jae-geun, noted that the public feels a sense of vindication by driving scandal-tainted celebrities out of work.

"When the public voices their opinion and forces TV shows to cancel shows or stars to step down, that, in itself, gives a sense of satisfaction. And this sometimes leads them to become harsher critics," he said.

But Ha added that this isn't always a bad thing.

"Because celebrities are taken seriously and are seen to have a great social impact, how scandals are handled sets an example for people," he said. "If a celebrity who used to be a bully is removed from their program, (children) can learn the lesson that there are consequences to bullying."

However, Kim also expressed concerns that such a phenomenon can quickly become a witch hunt.

"We should focus on what the scandal is about, like if it's a criminal charge or if it's a personal issue," he said. "Right now, there are no boundaries to such scandals… we should keep an eye out for what's appropriate and what impact we seek to get from voicing our opinions on the matter."