Recently, Nine Muses’s former member, Ryu Sera has opened up about her experience of being sexually harassed.
Appearing with radiant and pretty visuals on stage, having a large fan base, female idols always receive much attention from the public. However, besides normal fans, they also have to deal with extreme fans with inappropriate behaviors.
On October 3, Edaily reported that former Nine Muses member Ryu Sera has spoken out against the fact that many accounts sent her inappropriate pictures and text messages. The female singer posted on her personal SNS a warning for those who continue to harass her with offensive photos and messages.
The singer said she was frustrated by the vulgar pictures that were often sent to her. “I received these messages, which means every woman in Korea could be in a similar situation. I’ve been trying to block the accounts that send them. But now I’m exhausted so I’m sharing this instead,” she wrote.
“I really tried to understand and come up with excuses for their actions, that they might have the disease. But, please stop sending me these pictures. I will track you down” she added.
The messages posted by Ryu Sera quickly received public attention. Many netizens are angry and feel sorry for the female idol. Others believe that many other female idols must be facing the same problem.
The situation of female artists being harassed by messages, photos or direct actions is increasingly common in Korea despite the #MeToo movement that has exposed and caused many male artists to withdraw from the industry for sexual abuse.
In early 2021, the Korea Herald newspaper published the results of a survey conducted by the Center for Gender Equality in Korean Film. Three out of four women working in the film industry said they have experienced violence or sexual harassment.
