As concerns were raised about the side effects of the Korean entertainment industry amid the popularity of K-pop, the life of the late Goo Hara was highlighted.
On the 28th (local time), the New York Times (NYT) published an article titled ‘The lonely downhill slope of a K-pop star’, looking back on the life of Goo Hara, a member of the idol group ‘KARA’ who passed away in 2019, and criticizing the dark side of the K-pop industry. did.
The NYT explained in detail the background that may have been the cause of his death, including the sexual assault video incident with Mr. Koo’s father and his ex-lover, who tried to go to extremes when he was young.
“After the legal battle with his ex-lover, comments criticizing Mr. Goo’s appearance, personality, and sex life increased,” he said. “The Korean public was as quick to criticize stars as they were to be enthusiastic about them. Social media attacks continued.” reported.
The cause of the problem was then expanded to include the negative aspects of the K-pop industry. The NYT pointed out that the dark side of the Korean entertainment industry, which places excessive demands on celebrities, has been revealed, mentioning the late Sulli, who died the same year as Goo, and the late Astro member Moonbin, who died last year.
At the same time, he criticized, “Many young trainees are isolated from their families and do not experience socialization, which is essential in adolescence,” and “It shows an extreme picture of Korean society, which is full of pressure due to the stress of education and the economy.”
NYT said, “Recently, Hive, a large Korean entertainment company, allowed trainees to take long-term breaks for mental health and opened an in-house mental clinic,” and added, “This was the case for Mr. Koo, who was experiencing difficulties as a solo artist in addition to cyberbullying and issues with ex-lovers. “It is impossible to know whether the measures would have helped.”
He added, “Korea has the highest suicide rate among the richest countries in the world, and the gap is especially extreme for women.”
Meanwhile, Goo Hara debuted as a member of the idol group Kara in 2008 at the age of 17. She received a lot of love after releasing a number of hit songs such as ‘Pretty Girl’, ‘Honey’, and ‘Mr.’, and even successfully entering Japan. However, she passed away at the age of 28 on November 24, 2019. .
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.