How Seunghan’s departure from boy band Riize highlights the danger of K-pop’s global appeal

In the case of South Korea-based American rapper-singer Jessi, her contract was terminated by her agency after she received severe backlash for not intervening when a young male fan was attacked by her male acquaintance in front of her in October.

Even in the more morally gray cases, there were nuanced reactions from international fans who were at least open to understanding why a woman might choose to walk away when she sees a physically violent man.

Some Chinese fans have described the Anglophone K-pop community’s displeasure with Seunghan’s debut as “white people declaring their cultural superiority over Asians”, but framing it as an “East vs. West” debate would be an oversimplification.

But it is true that modern society is inherently consumption-based. Consumption, or the absence of consumption, is therefore the most direct way for people to express their values. Fans want to support idols and companies that align with their values.

As K-pop becomes increasingly popular around the world and deliberate efforts are made to market it to international audiences, the industry will face value systems that are very different from its more conservative instincts.

Generally speaking, idols in East Asia, especially younger ones, have historically been marketed as romantic fantasies for fans. Fans in these markets have come to expect their idols to maintain their single and available image in return for their loyalty and support.

In other words, don’t date, and if you do, don’t get caught.

In contrast, young pop stars from the English music scene past and present are not burdened with the same expectations.

American singer Justin Timberlake was in a relationship with American pop star Britney Spears during his NSync days. British singer Harry Styles was openly dating British presenter Caroline Flack and American pop star Taylor Swift at the height of One Direction’s fame.

Any suggestion that these idols comply with the dating ban would be seen by the stars themselves, their music labels, and their fans as a gross violation of their personal freedom.

Riize is a particularly complicated move in this respect. In a rare move for K-pop, the group made its debut in partnership with American label RCA Records, symbolizing their global ambitions from the very beginning.

These contradictory attitudes harm companies and ultimately idols. There have been calls within the international K-pop community to boycott SM Entertainment and its artists in protest of Seunghan’s removal from Riize.

Some international K-pop retailers, including Krmerch in Singapore, temporarily halted imports of Riize releases to show their displeasure with how Seunghan was treated.

This is a difficult situation to handle, and I agree with the company employees tasked with finding solutions, but the least they can do is implement watertight crisis communications.

However, Seunghan’s departure was received very badly by SM Entertainment. A well-established and experienced company with 30 years of experience should know very well that a decision cannot be made that will satisfy all its fans.