Analysis Of K-pop Fans’ Psychology In Relation To Idols’ Dating Issues

On March 5th, aespa’s Karina released a handwritten letter on Instagram apologizing for dating actor Lee Jae-wook. Writing an apology is a common method for celebrities to deal with fans’ criticism after causing controversies. 

Writer Noh Hee-kyung says, “Those who don’t love now are guilty”, but idols are considered guilty if they love. Their romantic relationships are the greatest risks to their agencies. After Karina’s dating news on February 27th, SM’s stock price dropped significantly. Reporting the issue, BBC said, “It is the reality in the K-pop industry that you have to write an apology for dating rumors”, adding “Korean and Japanese pop stars in living under pressure in a highly competitive and notorious industry”.

Park Joon-hyung, the leader of the first-generation idol group g.o.d, even held a press conference to apologize for publicizing his romantic relationship with Han Go-eun. At that time, he said “I’m 32 years old and I should have a girlfriend”. Karina is 24 years old and dating is very normal for people of her age. Then why are fans angry?

Dating is like cheating on fans

The idol industry is based on a kind of feeling based on social bonds. Unlike typical social relationships, this fan-idol relationship is one-sided. Fans’ interest and love are expressed and maintained through the media even when the other party doesn’t know their existence. As such, Apps like Bubble, which allows fans to exchange messages with idols, and Weverse, where fans and idols communicate, contribute greatly to K-pop agencies’ revenue structure. 

In this regard, BBC commented, “K-pop agencies market their idols like people fans can date with”. Banners and placards with messages such as “(Idol’s name) husband/wife” at concerts are examples of the feelings that K-pop fans have for their idols. Therefore, the moment fans find out their favorite idols are in a relationship, they easily feel betrayed as if the idols are cheating on them. 

According to researchers from Kyungsang University, romance rumors of celebrities affected the stock price of their entertainment companies in a short time. An idol’s marketability is based on an image that meets the desires of the public, and an idol can only maintain their value when they meet those expectations.

Why is Jennie’s case different?

In the current K-pop scene, entertainment agencies are focusing on increasing first-week sales for albums and music rankings from streams. Many idol groups are now formed through audition programs in which fans’ votes play an important role. In other words, idol groups and their achievements are created mostly by fans. 

Recently, the competition has expanded to the global market, and K-pop fans nowadays are proud of how high their idols rank on overseas charts, and how many audiences attend their concerts. If the idols are big enough to maintain these achievements, dating issues only have a very small impact. The dating rumor between BLACKPINK’s Jennie and BTS’s V is an example. 

Then how should other idols deal with fans’ criticism over their romance? Do not show it off and do not get caught. TVXQ’s Max Changmin married a non-celebrity girlfriend in 2020 and had a son but no photos have been revealed until now. It is similar to the wedding announcement of Shohei Ohtani.