Korean pop is without a doubt one of the most popular music genres in the world. Korean idols such as G-Dragon, CL, Jay Park, and Taeyang have all been successful domestically and internationally, but where does all this success come from? The answer to this is plain and simple, the fans. The power that the fans is enough to dictate the direction of how much success or failure a Korean idol has during their career.
The fans are the main sources of income for Korean idols by their contribution of following them on social media, buying their music, and attending their concerts. Therefore, this allows Korean stars to take part in TV shows, advertisements, and receive sponsorship deals from big branded companies. According to James Turnbull, “it is only logical to hire celebrities with the widest possible fanbase”, which shows how important it is for Korean idols to maintain and attract more fans (Turnball 2017: 129). In addition, Korean idols do not make a lot of money from their entertainment companies because they must pay a “break even” (SBS PopAsia HQ 2018). According to an article by SBS PopAsian HQ from January 29th, 2018, a break even is when “all the money earned by its idols go towards paying back all the money invested in them, such as training, food, accommodation, staff, and production of MVs”. Based on this information, it shows that Korean stars don’t make a lot of money until they’ve fully paid back their entertainment companies, which is why it’s important for them to have a large fan base to receive offers from talk shows, advertisements, and sponsors to be more financially stable.
However, fans can also damage a Korean idol’s career by starting scandals, which sometimes causes them to be removed from entertainment companies, advertisements, sponsorship deals, and TV shows. Scandals can range from plagiarism, relationship rumors, and illegal activities to bring down an idol’s reputation. According to The Chosun Ilbo, Baek Ji-Young had her sex tape leaked on the internet with her former manager, which caused her not to be broadcasted on TV anymore because “a producer told me that it would be hard for me to appear on TV again” due to the huge disappointment from the fans. This goes to show how much of an impact scandals can have on an idol’s career.
To prevent scandals and secure their large fanbase, an “idol will do everything, anything for the fans because that’s the only reason for them to exist” (CBC News 2018). Therefore, Korean idols would host meet and greets, post fan appreciation
threads on their social medias, taking pictures with them and much more. In addition, Korean idols must always act in a professional way because the little things can stir problems, which leads to scandals.
In conclusion, fans have a lot power in determining how much success or failure a Korean idol has during their career. Therefore, it’s important for Korean idols to please their fanbase because they determine their success and their financial stability in the K-pop industry.
SBS PopAsia HQ. “How much money a K-pop idol makes (according to a former K-pop idol).” SBS, Jan. 29, 2018. https://www.sbs.com.au/popasia/blog/2018/01/29/how-much-money-k-pop-idol-makes-according-former-k-pop-idol.
The Chosun Ilbo. “Baek Ji-Young Smiles Again After Six Years After Sex Scandal.” Chosun, May. 19, 2006. http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2006/05/19/2006051961009.html.
Turnbull, James. “Just beautiful people holding a bottle: the driving forces behind South Korea’s love of celebrity endorsement.” Routhledge Taylor & Francis Group, Vol. 8, No.1 (2017): 128-135.
Wong, Jessica. “The punishing pressures behind K-pop perfection.” CBC News, Feb. 24, 2018. https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/kpop-hard-life-1.4545627.