k-pop is basically sk’s whole identity…and it’s crazy to me seeing how much recognition and success idols bring to their country, only to realize how often the very system that should protect them fails to do its job.
and i genuinely think we don’t talk about this enough…
yes, things have improved over the years. i’m not denying that. but there are still so many gaps, from the law itself and how it’s enforced, to the way companies treat their artists, all the way down to sasaeng culture. and as an international fan, it’s honestly insane to watch it constantly happen.
we always talk about companies mistreating their artists, sasaengs invading their privacy, idols being overworked and having little control over their own careers. but how often do we actually question the very system behind all of that, that allows these things to keep happening? because that’s where i think the bigger problem lies.
companies absolutely deserve to be held responsible for their actions. i’m adamant in calling them out for everything that happens. but they don’t operate outside the law you know. and when the laws and the systems meant to protect artists aren’t strong enough, there’s only so much accountability we can expect. it’s sad.
so no, i don’t think the problem begins and ends with entertainment companies. it goes much deeper than that. the flaws go way beyond those. you can’t keep celebrating the global success of an industry while deliberately ignoring how exposed and unsafe the very people behind that success can be.
yes progress deserves to be acknowledged, but improvement doesn’t mean proper protection or better rights. that’s why i think we need to stop treating these incidents as separate problems and start questioning the system that keeps allowing them to happen.
and i stand by that.