K-pop star Karina and Lee Jae-wook: Why has relationship ended following accusations of betrayal by music star’s fans?

Published

1 month ago

April 5, 2024

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“Is the love to you by your fans not enough? Why did you choose to betray the fans? Please apologise directly. Otherwise, you will see a decrease in album sales and empty concert seats.”

This was the message driven, on an electronic sign, to the headquarters of SM Entertainment in Seoul, South Korea, according to media reports in the country.

Why? The company formed and manages K-pop band Aespa, of which singer Karina is a member; this was the reaction after it emerged she was in a relationship with actor Lee Jae-wook.

Karina quickly published an image of a handwritten note, apologising for disappointing her fans and promising to “heal the wounds”.

Now, just a couple of weeks later, their break-up has been announced. SM Entertainment confirmed the split to Sky News, but did not comment.

Only a few days before this, South Korean actors Han So-hee and Ryu Jun-yeol reportedly announced their separation, just two weeks after publicly acknowledging their relationship.

Of course, celebrity couples break up all the time, and there are music stars from all over the world whose fans can sometimes take things too far when it comes to their love for their idols.

In 2022, Harry Styles and his then girlfriend Olivia Wilde addressed “toxic negativity” directed at her from a small corner of his fanbase. Last year, Taylor Swift reportedly told the crowd at a show in Minneapolis that fans should not “feel the need to defend me on the internet against someone you think I might have written a song about 14 million years ago”.

But while diehard fans can overreact to relationships and splits, in the K-pop world there is also controversy around the messaging put out by management, with agencies reportedly keen to promote their stars, known as idols, as romantically obtainable.

UK K-pop expert Felicity Davies, from SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) University of London, is writing a PhD on the industry and its fandoms, and says it is common to hear of strict dating rules and even dating bans within the industry.

She points out examples of how going public with romantic relationships has worked out for some K-pop idols, such as Blackpink star Jisoo and actor Ahn Bo-hyun – reports they were dating emerged in August last year and the split was announced in October – and fellow Blackpink star Jennie and Exo boyband member Kai. His bandmate, Chen, is married with children.

“However, there does certainly seem to be a lot of pressure on artists to remain as clean cut as possible and to not be caught doing anything that could potentially be seen as ‘scandalous’, and often dating has appeared to come under this ‘scandalous’ label,” she says. But there isn’t “one unified way all K-pop agencies seem to approach this”, she adds.

In 2018, the stock of record label Cube Entertainment dropped several points after two of their artists, Hyuna and E’Dawn, began dating. It led to them both being removed from the agency’s roster.

“They soon signed with P Nation, an agency that takes no issue with dating, and they were able to continue with their careers in the music industry for multiple years while publicly together, even releasing duets at times,” Felicity says. “Different agencies have different approaches.”

The origins of modern K-pop date back to the 1990s, but perhaps the biggest turning point for Western audiences came from the unlikely source of South Korean rapper Psy and his single Gangnam Style.

Released in July 2012, by December of that year it had become the first YouTube video to reach one billion views.

Since then, the genre has evolved and become a multibillion-dollar industry, making worldwide stars of boybands such as BTS and girl groups like Blackpink. In 2019, BTS became the first ever Korean act to score a UK number one album, with Map Of The Soul: Persona – which also became their third Billboard number one album in less than a year in the US. They also sold out Wembley in 90 minutes.

BTS announced a hiatus in 2022, with several members now undertaking mandatory military duties, but there are still plenty of acts filling charts around the world, including Stray Kids, Fifty Fifty and NewJeans.

Last year, 35 different K-pop albums entered the Billboard 200, and five topped the chart.

The fandoms are huge – but not all fans have such extreme reactions to romantic relationships.

Despite the backlash she has faced for her relationship with Lee Jae-wook, many of Karina’s followers have been supportive.

In fact, looking at the response to her Instagram post, which has received more than 2.6 million likes, the vast majority have called out her need to apologise. “Apologise for loving someone?” one wrote. “You don’t need to do this, you deserve to be happy.”

Felicity says that while there are still restrictions, K-pop stars have more freedom now than they did 15 years ago.

“I do also think that if the ‘anti-dating’ fans continue to become more widely recognised as the inappropriate exception, and the less bothered ones the expected norm, industry restrictions towards dating will continue to ease even more,” she says. “Hopefully to the point where idols will be able to date freely without fear of such negative reactions.”

But she adds: “However, as the situation with Karina and Lee Jae-wook shows, we’re not quite there yet.”

Entertainment

Bernard Hill: Lord Of The Rings and Titanic actor dies aged 79

Published

15 hours ago

May 5, 2024

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Bernard Hill: Lord Of The Rings and Titanic actor dies aged 79

Actor Bernard Hill, who played roles in Lord Of The Rings and Titanic, has died aged 79, his agent has confirmed.

Hill also featured as Yosser Hughes in the iconic drama series Boys In The Blackstuff.

He was given a number of awards for his role as King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic.

The actor was born in Blackley, Manchester, in 1944 and graduated with a diploma in theatre in 1970.

He was married to fellow actor Marianna Hill, with whom he shared a son. His agent Lou Coulson said he died in the early hours of Sunday.

Hill will return to TV on Sunday night starring in the second series of Martin Freeman’s The Responder.

Fans have already started to pay tribute to him on social media.

Scottish musician Barbara Dickson wrote of their time working together: “It’s with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill. We worked together in John Paul George Ringo and Bert, Willy Russell marvellous show 1974-1975.

“A really marvellous actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny x.”

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Entertainment

Madonna plays biggest-ever show to 1.6 million fans on Rio’s Copacabana beach

Published

16 hours ago

May 5, 2024

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Madonna plays biggest-ever show to 1.6 million fans on Rio's Copacabana beach

Madonna has played her biggest-ever gig to an estimated 1.6 million people on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.

It was the last show in her Celebration tour and she performed hits such Like A Prayer, Vogue, Hung Up, Into The Groove and Like A Virgin.

The Brazil city was buzzing ahead of Saturday’s free two-hour show, with hotels and Airbnb’s packed and about 170 extra flights expected into the city.

Helicopters and drones buzzed over the beach as the Queen of Pop took to the stage at 10:37pm, nearly 50 minutes late.

“Here we are in the most beautiful place in the world,” Madonna told the crowd as she pointed out Rio’s famous mountains and Christ the Redeemer statue.

The 65-year-old opened up with Nothing Really Matters from 1998’s Ray of Light album.

Eighteen speaker towers were dotted along the beach to ensure everyone could hear the US star’s vocals.

Brazilian musicians and people from local samba schools were involved in the show – with many fans dressing up in Madonna-themed outfits.

“Since Madonna arrived here, I’ve been coming every day with this outfit to welcome my idol, my diva, my pop queen,” said Rosemary de Oliveira Bohrer, 69, who wore a version of Madonna’s iconic gold cone bra.

Many fans had staked out a spot many hours – or even days – before the show, while others took in the spectacle from yachts or apartment balconies.

Madonna’s website said it was the biggest she had ever done – more than 10 times the 130,000 she played to in Paris in 1987.

However, Rio is used to huge shows – The Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart have played to similar-size crowds there.

Thousands of police were on duty for Saturday’s show, which city authorities estimated drew a crowd of 1.6 million and would earn the local economy about 293 million reals (£46m).

For Madonna, it was the culmination of an 81-date retrospective tour that began in London in October and moved across Europe and North and South America.

The singer embarked upon the tour a few months after being admitted to intensive care with a serious bacterial inaction in June 2023.

Entertainment

Olly Alexander addresses ‘extreme’ remarks from fans on Israel’s Eurovision inclusion

Published

19 hours ago

May 5, 2024

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Olly Alexander addresses 'extreme' remarks from fans on Israel's Eurovision inclusion

The UK’s Eurovision Song Contest representative has addressed “extreme” remarks from fans over Israel’s inclusion in the competition.

Olly Alexander was selected as this year’s representative for the UK for the popular singing competition.

It’s set to take place in Malmo, Sweden, next week but tens of thousands are expected to protest Israel’s involvement and its ongoing war in Gaza.

Alexander, the Years & Years singer, has found himself facing criticism from some who called for him to withdraw amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Queers for Palestine circulated a letter, signed by thousands including actors Indya Moore, Brigette Lundy-Paine, and Maxine Peake calling for the It’s A Sin actor to pull out of the show.

In March, along with Irish hopeful Bambie Thug, Danish entrant Saba and other Eurovision artists, Alexander released a joint statement, backing “an immediate and lasting ceasefire” but refusing to boycott the event.

Now, speaking out in a new documentary which has followed the 33-year-old as he prepares for the show, he has described some of the comments he and other participants have faced as “very extreme”.

He said: “A lot of the contestants and myself have been having a lot of comments that are like ‘You are complicit in a genocide by taking part in Eurovision’ which is quite extreme. It’s very extreme.

“I understand where that sentiment is coming from but I think it’s not correct.

“It’s an incredibly complicated political situation, one that I’m not qualified to speak on.

“The backdrop to this is actual immense suffering. It’s a humanitarian crisis, a war.

“It just so happens there’s a song contest going on at the same time that I’m a part of.”

Speaking in the BBC’s documentary titled Olly Alexander’s Road To Eurovision ’24, he continued saying that people should boycott Eurovision if they didn’t feel comfortable watching and he respected their decision – but would be taking part himself.

He added: “My plan is to just focus on putting on a good performance in Malmo.

“My team, everyone’s worked so hard, and we’re in the final stretch now.”

Earlier in the week, Alexander broke down crying during an interview with The Times when discussing the pressure he had come under for participating in Eurovision.

He told the paper he knew a number of signatories of the petition against him, and none had reached out to him.

He said: “This is so much bigger than me and Eurovision, it really is. But, obviously, I wish there wasn’t a war or this insane humanitarian crisis.

“I wish for peace and I have found this experience, at times, extremely … I’ve just felt really sad and distressed.”

Speaking on Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, deputy director general of the European Broadcasting Union who organises Eurovision, Jean Philip De Tender, defended Israel’s inclusion in the competition.

He said: “We do understand the concerns and deeply held views around the war in the Middle East.

“The song contest is a music event organised and co-produced by 37 public broadcasters, it’s not a competition between nations or governments.

“Our governing bodies reviewed the participation of Kan [Israel’s public broadcasting corporation] and found that they met all of the competing rules.”

Phillips pointed out incidences when Kan came under fire for their broadcasting.

This included, he said, when Kan published a video of children singing, in the public broadcaster’s own words, for the “annihilation of Gaza” and when one of their presenters was seen writing “I want to send the people of Gaza artillery shells”.

Mr De Tender said they had been in contact with Kan about the content they published and their editorial output, and had expressed concern on occasion.

He added that Eurovision had competition rules which they had to follow, and taking action beyond these rules to exclude Kan would have been a “political decision as such which we cannot take”.