A Korean Studies professor offered a counter perspective Friday afternoon of a prominent 2019 Korean pop celebrity sex scandal in South Korea.
CedarBough Saeji, a professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, spoke at a lecture titled "Politics, Pop Stars, and Prosecutors: The (Non?) Impact of Burning Sun on K-pop" in the Global and International Studies Building as part of the Institute of Korean Studies Colloquium Series.
K-pop idols have dedicated fanbases that are quick to consume online content and defend their favorites. Idols maintain an image of extraordinary talent and flawlessness — so much that minor incidents such as car accidents warrant news headlines. When news of Burning Sun scandal broke, the media was frenzied.
Saeji explained instead of publicly acknowledging the humanness of idols, the government, uninvolved idols and fans increased demands for perfection, missing an opportunity.
“International fans are really entranced by this narrative of the perfect idol,” Saeji said. “They can’t imagine that their own idol would ever make a serious mistake, and hence they feel that advocating for lower expectations would be a betrayal of their own beloved star.”
Saeji said the perfect image of idols is rooted in advertising media in South Korea, where 60% of ads include celebrities. Only 25% of ads in the United States utilize celebrity endorsements.
“Seeking to tap into the potential of soft power, the government has co-opted idol stars as representatives of the nation,” Saeji said.
Since the word K-pop includes Korean, it is constantly representing the nation, Saeji said. Idols’ entire existence is linked to endorsing Korea. In the case of Burning Sun scandal, the celebrities involved were so prominent that their actions had implications for the nation.
Sophomore Adama Jalloh said after listening to the lecture, she realized how much the need to be perfect affects idols and the importance of viewing them as humans.
“There’s even more pressure than I thought on idols to be considered perfect,” Jalloh said.
The next lecture in the Institute for Korean Studies Colloquium Series, titled Contemporary Trends in Traditional Music in Korea, will be 12-1:15 p.m. Jan. 17 in the Global and International Studies Building Shreve Auditorium.
