I’ve been reading this thread for a few days and it has really got to me and I hope you don’t mind if I share some of my opinions with you. To be honest, I am absolutely staggered by some of the stuff I have read here and it really isn’t because of anything that’s happening within the Kpop industry. In fact, it is the willingness to attack both individuals and their culture and attribute everything they do to having been infiltrated by satanic influences.
I will state at this point, that I am a Christian, which is why I feel so strongly motivated to post here. I’ve tried to remain open-minded about the things you are saying but am actually seriously concerned about some of the attitudes displayed here.
Let’s take Jonghyun’s suicide, for example. A young man of 27, took his own life. He had everything to live for but he felt so desperate that he reached a stage where he could not go on. He sent a letter to his friend, 2 weeks before his death, which he asked her to make public if he died. Wouldn’t this have been the perfect opportunity to reveal his fears that someone was attempting to sacrifice him or some other evil which the industry had inflicted upon him? He didn’t. He said that he was tired of clashing with the world and that fame wasn’t what he had thought it would be. Fame had left him hollow and sad and I have no doubt that ideas like the ones on threads like this could have contributed to that.
His family, friends, management knew of his struggles. They had tried to help him but like so many people who suffer with really bad mental health conditions, he couldn’t be reached. When his sister notified the police that day that she was worried about him after texts he sent, she probably knew it was already too late. Even if he had been still alive when they got to him, the carbon monoxide poisoning would mean that his brain would have been a long time without oxygen making resuscitation more unlikely.
Instead of praising his friends, family and his company for being open and honest about what happened, people come up with conspiracy theories. South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. publishing his letter, showing people mourning at his funeral etc were all excellent ways of showing the effects of suicide and removing the glamour from it.
As far as I understand it, his group members were invited by his family to be chief mourners at his funeral. He had spent many years with these boys, he had lived with them and grown up with them. Why would they not be considered chief mourners? The part of the funeral which was covered by the media was open to everyone. There was a private gathering outside of that for his family and close friends. Something like 86% of people are cremated in South Korea, so that aspect is not unusual.
I lost a very close friend when I was 17. He was 19. At the time of his death, his mother wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by his friends. She drew great comfort from our presence. She felt closer to him while his friends were present. Some of us cried, some of us showed no emotion, some of laughed as we remembered the good times, some tried to be strong for his family. There was nothing unusual about any of it. Taemin didn’t cry? Who knows how many tears he shed privately - before or after? Who knows how many tears he still sheds? He wore his hat to the airport a few weeks later? Perhaps he wanted to feel like Jonghyun was with them. Perhaps he wanted to show their fans they hadn’t forgotten him or that they weren’t leaving him behind. Unless you’ve been there, none of you know what is normal.
Thinking about relationships and homosexuality, transgenderism etc. Firstly, some of the terms you use are insensitive and inappropriate. Also, can you imagine how it must feel for someone like Lisa to come across a thread like this where people are saying she looks like a male? Yes, she is tall but apart from that I’ve seldom seen a more female looking female. Don’t you have any regard for the harm you could do to her mentally by saying such things? In any case, even if she were transgender, why does that matter. Yes, you might think it’s ungodly but her relationship with herself and Gidcus for her to justify and not you. Worry about your own relationship with God and stop posting the vitriol that you do here.
Relationships? Let’s think about that. Do you ever stop to think that maybe other cultures have a healthier approach to relationships than we do in the West? Young people here are often involved in relationships with the opposite sex from the age of 13 or 14. They are often sexually active from a very young age with high rates of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted disorders. Teen pregnancy rate for example, in South Korea is very low. Their relationships in the teenage years seem to be closer between same sexes. Displays of affection between girls and girls or boys and boys are not unusual - nor are they assumed to be homosexual. It is much more unusual to see affection between members of the opposite sex. Homosexuality in South Korea is still very taboo but showing affection to your friends is not. Perhaps we in the West take normal displays of affection between South Koreans of the same sex and sexualise them in a way that was never intended. I have seen many generalisations and assumptions about young men such as Ten, Taemin or Taeyong. What gives you the right to speculate about that? As Christians we are called to love each other. That includes those who live their lives in a way we don’t agree with. What would Jesus have done Earth? Would he have cast homosexuals aside or would he have embraced them and lived them like everyone else? You can’t go around assuming things about individuals and stirring up hatred towards them. Yes, there are bound to be some homosexual Kpop artists. It is not our duty to out them or judge them. It is our duty to love them and respect them - just like Jesus would tell us to. what better example if Christianity could we display?
It is only my opinion but I’m guessing the attitude to relationships and marriage is different because each young man has to complete two years of military service in his 20s. Their relationships, their careers etc are all influenced by this. They probably see no point in building long term relationships which are going to have to be put on hold for two years. The average age for males to marry in SK is 31 and females, 28. If these companies are so influential, why have they not managed to persuade the government to exempt their idols from service?
I understand there are companies who don’t do what’s right by their idols, like for example YG. However, I think there is a move in companies such as SM and JYP to be more transparent and open about how they operate. Both allow their idols to write lyrics and music, as well as choreograph and produce. JYP have been as open as they can be about Woojin leaving as they could be without breaching his confidentiality. They were truthful about Jisung’s stress and anxiety - a situation he was out in by fans. Today they have said another of the members is missing scheduled this week because he has influenza. SM has been truthful about Jungwoo from NCT being on hiatus and given updates. They were truthful about Wendy’s accident and her other members have given updates.
Some of the songs JYP allow Stray Kids to release like Gone Days, challenge outdated points of view which still exist in SK - but of course you will tell me that’s all about mind control rather than a new generation trying to make a more open, accepting, tolerant society.
There are lots of things wrong in the Kpop industry - just as there is in the entertainment industry overall. However, don’t you see how very dangerous to speculate about satanic involvement and taint a whole generation of Korean young people with these accusations. How do you know Satan isn’t just infiltrating your mind by placing those thoughts there? You all need to be very careful because you are so obsessed with this, that you are deliberately going out there looking for signs and symbolism in a culture which you clearly don’t even fully understand. It isn’t very Christian and it isn’t very tolerant of other faiths, cultures or races.
I am obviously an adult - the mother of a daughter who gets much more pleasure from Kpop. As a mother, it’s my responsibility to try to understand the interests she has. That is in part, how I cane to find this thread. However, if I was a parent I would be more concerned with your fascination with this subject more than I would be about Kpop.
Yes, it has its problems, but it also has a wealth of talented, hard working young people who have an amazing work ethic, as well as high levels of morality that you don’t see in the western music industry.
Have any of ever watched the old We got Married series, with Taemin and Naeun? At 20, neither of these two had ever dated. They were so nervous around each other and so respectful. It was actually so refreshing to watch and heartbreaking because they ended their relationship because of fans attitudes towards Naeun.
For anyone who thinks Taemin is bad, you should watch it. He was a timid, shy, humble young man - exactly the same way I find him today. As a Christian, I don’t care if he’s gay or straight or anything else. I see him as a young man who is incredibly hard working and has already dealt with a lot of hardship and grief in his young life. His best friend killed him self and people speculate over whether or not he was involved in it or whether the friend was sacrificed for him? Really? The fact that he deals with that day and daily tells me he deserves more respect than he gets.
Of course, his onstage character is a persona, that’s what music, dance, acting is about. Underneath it all however, he is a real live person with feelings and emotions and hopes and regrets. Please think about that when your posting your theories. You talk about concrete evidence and I see none for any of your theories. This not a game. These are the lives of real people. While you are investigating your conspiracy theories, he is living the reality of his life - they all are, and that includes dealing with the kinds of things you are saying about them.
Please take the time to think about what I’m saying.
amp.theguardian.com
