Structural Flaws in the K-pop Industry: Simultaneous Exposure to Eating Disorders, Sexual Exploitation, and Environmental Pollution

The long-standing problems within the K-pop industry have resurfaced simultaneously. Issues ranging from body obsession to sexual exploitation and environmental pollution are being exposed openly through international media and domestic oversight systems. **The Vicious Cycle of Eating Disorders and Body Obsession** Recently, a South Korean documentary titled “Body Documentary” revealed that five famous K-pop idols—Kim Wan-seon, Saya, Han Seung-yeon, Jeon Hyo-sung, and Hwasa—had suffered from extreme dieting, eating disorders, and depression. In particular, Hwasa of MAMAMOO spoke about the severe pain caused by anorexia and depression, while other participants, including Saya of STAR5, testified to the detrimental effects of the entertainment industry’s obsession with body shapes on mental and physical health. Their courageous disclosures prompted viewers to demand improvements to these structural issues within the industry. **Sexual Exploitation Scandal Involving a Japanese Broadcasting Executive** Meanwhile, in Japan, a senior executive at Fuji TV was accused of being involved in a practice of forcing famous entertainer Masahiro Nakai to engage in sexual acts, sparking international outrage. According to revelations in the weekly magazine “Shukan Bunshun,” Fuji TV had routinely forced female announcers and other female employees to have sex with celebrities including Nakai. Nakai is the leader of the well-known idol group SMAP in South Korea, and as a result of this scandal, more than 50 companies, including Toyota Motor, Seven & i Holdings, and Kirin Holdings, suspended their advertising contracts with Fuji TV. Kirin Holdings stated it would maintain its ad suspension “until sufficient investigations are conducted and appropriate actions are taken.” Given that Fuji TV’s annual advertising revenue amounts to approximately 1.36 trillion won, this situation is regarded as a crisis that could threaten the survival of the broadcasting company. **Excessive Album Marketing Tactics by Agencies and Environmental Issues** The marketing strategies employed by K-pop agencies are also at the center of controversy. Last year, 87.77 million K-pop albums were sold, a figure more than 12 times higher than the 7.37 million albums sold 10 years prior. Behind this explosive growth lies aggressive marketing tactics by agencies, such as offering photo cards and fan signing sessions. However, this reckless consumption of albums has been cited as a serious environmental problem. During parliamentary audits last October, representatives from the four major agencies—JYP, SM, YG, and HYBE—were pressured to improve their album-selling practices. Im O-gyeong, a member of the Democratic Party, criticized these tactics, saying, “Marketing methods that encourage compulsive behavior, such as fan signing sessions and random photo cards, lead to excessive album consumption. This is the main cause of carbon emissions and resource waste.” According to data from the Ministry of Environment, agencies used 801.5 tons of plastic subject to waste regulations alone in 2022. The K-pop fan group “K-Pop Planet” analyzed that album production last year resulted in approximately 44 million kilograms of carbon emissions—equivalent to the carbon output from 9.7 billion kilometers driven by cars. On the 16th of last year, K-Pop Planet awarded HYBE the “Environmental Pollution of the Year” title at the “2024 Sustainable K-pop Awards,” prompting fans to hold protest demonstrations outside HYBE’s headquarters. Based on voting results, HYBE was ranked first as the “Climate Villain” with 50.5% of the votes, followed by YG, SM, and JYP. **Insufficient Responses from Agencies and Doubts About Effectiveness** After the parliamentary audits, the agencies failed to propose concrete improvement plans. HYBE repeated a general statement saying it was not yet at a stage where specific solutions could be finalized, while YG replied that it was currently working on directions for 2025. In contrast, SM and JYP did not even respond to inquiries, fueling criticism of their attempt to avoid responsibility. There are also serious doubts about whether the so-called “eco-friendly albums” promoted by agencies can truly solve these problems. Although they claim to use low-carbon paper, soybean ink, and biodegradable plastics, arguments at a sustainable K-pop forum held in Yeouido Parliament last November still emphasized the need to reduce album sales overall. Even though platform albums without CDs have been released, traditional album releases continue, and random photo cards are still used to encourage fans to purchase multiple copies. Marty MARTY, an adjunct professor of Korean studies at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States, said, “Even though they claim to use soybean ink or recycled materials, these measures ignore the true essence of sustainability that fans desire. They need to change the way fan signing events are conducted and develop new systems for photo card collection.”