“I sincerely apologize for surprising my fans who have supported me,” wrote K-pop singer Karina, a member of the girl group Aespa. She took to Instagram to issue a handwritten apology to her fans on Mar. 5 after her relationship with actor Lee Jae-wook was made public late last month. In South Korea, a handwritten apology is a common approach celebrities use to express remorse for causing trouble.
“All those who do not love now are guilty,” said Korean author and screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung in her bestselling book, but for K-pop stars, the opposite is true: those who love are found guilty by angry fans. The relationship status of K-pop stars poses significant risks for their managing agencies. Shares of SM Entertainment have been falling since Karina’s relationship was made known on Feb. 27.
The BBC reported that Karina posted a “groveling” apology, adding that “Pop stars in South Korea and Japan work in notoriously pressurizing industries, where such personal revelations can be tricky to navigate.”
The K-pop industry has seen similar “heartfelt” apologies for over three decades. Park Joon-hyung, a member of K-pop group god (short for groove over dose), held a press conference in 2001 to formally apologize for his relationship with actress Han Go-eun. His tearful statement, “I’m thirty-two years old, I should have a girlfriend,” resonates 23 years on. Karina is twenty-four years old- she should also be dating - but why are so many fans outraged by this obvious revelation?
The idol industry, characterized by young K-pop stars meticulously crafted by Korean entertainment agencies, capitalizes on “pseudo-romantic feelings” or, in psychological terms, parasocial relationships. Parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships, where one person invests emotional energy and time while the other party is completely unaware of the other’s existence.
One-sided relationships where fans invest emotionally in idols are facilitated by the media and platforms like Bubble and Weverse, which gives fans the impression that they are communicating with these idols. Agencies are often keen to market idols as “romantically available” for fans. “Just a decade ago, it was common practice for K-pop agencies to ban new stars from dating or even having a personal mobile phone,” the BBC reported.
This dynamic is illustrated by fans holding signs like “my husband” at concerts. When fans discover their idol is in an actual relationship, they experience a sense of betrayal akin to infidelity.
A study by Kyungpook National University researchers, titled “The Impact of Romance Rumors on the Stock Prices of Entertainment Companies,” found that celebrity romance rumors negatively affect the short-term stock prices of their entertainment agencies. The research suggested that the market value of celebrities is tied to their public image, meaning that their value can only be sustained if they meet the anticipated desires of fans.
The emotion driving the idol industry also underlies popular culture. The world-renowned academic journal Nature analyzed that “the collective grief felt by people in the United Kingdom and around the world at the death of Queen Elizabeth II represents a form of parasocial relationship.” People worldwide experienced a sense of loss for someone they knew and loved, even though they had never met the Queen, and she did not know them. Indeed, parasocial relationships can be intensified by even a single meeting or interaction. Politicians seeking more handshakes with voters during election seasons aim to stimulate the emotions associated with parasocial relationships.
The dating scandal involving Karina is not simply about parasocial romantic feelings. A protest truck sent by fans to the SM Entertainment headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, displayed the message: “We supported Karina’s bright future, believing in a shared dream, but it was our misconception.”
The second emotion driving the idol industry is “vicarious satisfaction,” or in psychological terms, “team identification.” Team identification is the fundamental emotion powering the professional sports industry. It is a psychological state of attributing special significance to a favorite professional baseball team or player, developing an attachment, and sharing their successes and failures. Supporting a favorite sports team, buying their uniform, and voting in All-Star games, despite having no direct personal connection, all stem from team identification.
The idol industry in South Korea has recently shown similarities to the professional sports industry. Fans buy albums in bulk to boost first-week sales and stream songs in real-time to elevate music chart rankings. They become “homepage masters,” taking photos and videos to distribute on their fansites and increase fan recruitment. In idol groups formed through audition programs, this emotional investment is even stronger, giving rise to the sentiment of “the group I raised.”
The competition within the domestic K-pop market has recently expanded to the global market. The pride of fans now includes their idols’ ranks on the Billboard chart, the number of touring countries, and the attendees at their overseas concerts. Thus, the dating rumors involving Blackpink’s Jennie and BTS’ V had a relatively smaller impact, since, in the English-speaking entertainment world, romantic relationships between superstars often increase their value.
It is natural for young, vibrant male and female idols to date. The primary rule for idols when it comes to dating is “don’t flaunt it.” TVXQ’s Changmin is often cited as a prime example. He married his non-celebrity partner in 2020 and welcomed his first son, all without any photos being released to the public. Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s recent marriage announcement is another example. Given that everyone is aware yet chooses to overlook their relationships, idols should avoid flaunting them and unnecessarily provoking fans, experts say.
The most crucial principle above all is, “Don’t get caught.” Takashi from the Japanese comedy duo Trendy Angel commented regarding a romance scandal involving Okada Nana of the idol group AKB48 in 2022. “The idol industry is about buying dreams with money. I don’t want to pay for someone else’s woman.”
