Moonbin’s Death Highlights K-Pop’s Pressures.
Moonbin’s death shocked fans worldwide and underscored the pressures performers face.
Astro’s 25-year-old singer, actor, and model. He died during a world tour with Astro member Sanha.
Police said Moonbin “appears to have taken his own life” while investigating his death.
It’s the latest sudden death of a young South Korean celebrity.
Jung Chae-yull, a 26-year-old actress, died in her home earlier this month. Last August, 27-year-old actress Yoo Joo-eun died. Online bullying killed 25-year-old Sulli of f(x). A month later, her close friend Goo Hara, a K-pop star, died at home.
Some weren’t suicides. However, Moonbin’s death has renewed attention to Korean show business’s fierce competition.
K-pop stardom is hard.
South Korea has the highest youth suicide rate in developed nations due to its hyper-competitive culture. Despite a declining suicide rate, 20-somethings are dying more.
According to Billboard Magazine Asia correspondent Rob Schwartz, South Korean celebrities face more pressure than pop stars in North America or Europe.
Early competition is fierce. Korean youth love to be entertainers. Actors, models, and singers topped the South Korean education ministry’s 2021 survey of primary school students’ dream jobs.
Most K-pop stars go through years of rigorous training, which means they lose touch with their friends and peers.
Moonbin, who was 11 when he starred in the Asia-wide hit Korean drama Boys Over Flowers, trained for eight years before joining Astor. Moon Sua, his sister and Billlie singer, prepared for 12 years.
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Few trainees reach the stage after many intense rounds of selection. Star-saturated industry awaits them.
Mr. Schwartz noted that celebrity agencies and fan culture are major sources of Korean stars’ stress.
Slave contracts, long exclusive agreements with little control over schedule or pay, were common for new hires.
He doesn’t think the relationship between the two parties has changed despite recent cases freeing K-pop stars from unfair contracts.
“K-pop stars have more control, in the sense that they are not as controlled,” says Mr. Schwartz. “Things have changed, but not better.”
The country’s active social media amplifies fans’ enthusiasm, which can be a double-edged sword.
“They pay attention to every move, they comment on their hair,” says Mr. Schwartz. “It’s crazy how they have these guys under a microscope.”
After debuting, celebrities are followed by fans and society. Public figures face higher expectations in a country where disparity has long been a topic.
Drunk driving, one of South Korea’s worst crimes, can end a public figure’s career. After crashing her car while drunk, famous actress Kim Sae-Ron, 22, received widespread criticism.
“Korea has very strict moral standards for celebrities compared to other countries,” says Korean pop culture critic Ha Jae-kun.
“If a star behaves slightly differently from what’s considered ‘decent’, the public would attack them. Due to social pressure from strong collectivism, stars can’t ignore this kind of assault.
The shame
Insiders say being a celebrity with mental illness is difficult.
Rapper Swings, who has multiple mental disorders, told BBC Korean in 2017 how difficult it can be.
“It’s like walking around naked,” he said. “‘I thought this guy was ill, you know, how does he get on stage to perform?'” They’re clueless.”
K-pop idols have been taking long breaks for mental health because the industry is aware of the strain.
Since 2020, Twice’s Jeongyeon has taken four breaks for mental health and neck injuries. She returned last month. Moonbin took a health hiatus in 2019 and 2020.
Several agencies offer celebrity and trainee therapy. In 2020, South Korea’s largest search engine, Naver, closed its entertainment news comment section due to the toxic environment.
However, some don’t expect fundamental change soon.
K-pop is its own thing and everyone wants to improve it for idols. But how?” Schwartz claims.
“The super fans are so obsessed with these idols, it seems like a vicious cycle of being under a microscope to perform at a high level.”
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