The Korean star management company is in trouble because of the idol’s “rogue” past

Denying accusations of corrupt pasts of stars

Follow The Korea Heraldless than a month after her debut, Kim Ga Ram of rookie girl group Le Sserafim halted all her activities as accusations of bullying her while in school escalated.

“After discussing with Kim Ga Ram, she will take a break to regain her sanity. Le Sserafim will continue her activities as a five-member act until her return,” the announcement said. said. The company quickly “evicted” the idol from the newly debuted group.

The decision came a month after some online users, claiming to be former classmates of Kim Ga Ram, alleged that she bullied her classmates during junior high and accused her of smoking underage.

But as Kim’s allegations continued to surface, many harshly criticized the agency’s response. The agency has denied all allegations and said it would take legal action against those who spread disinformation with “bad intentions”.

“If you’re going to sign an artist, you need to know their good, bad, if any. Nurture your artists but don’t erase their past,” said one anonymous fan. write on Twitter. Another fan said that the company’s denial is only intended to restore the singer’s damaged reputation.

“Companies try to remedy the situation by denying it. But I think they should be punished because protecting the wrongdoers and celebrities from being allowed to appear on TV is the biggest punishment that people can face. we can get it,” said Namgung Yu Jin, a K-pop fan in Seoul.

The company’s denial has led to more accusations. Earlier this week, an anonymous user posted a new photo online accusing the rookie female singer of being the perpetrator of school violence. The evidence shows that a committee has been convened to deal with the case and propose measures to deal with the violator, who was dubbed “Class 1, Class 3 Kim Ga Ram”.

Experts say companies should be more careful when responding to bullying rumors and resist efforts to “clean up” the past to protect their artists.

Noh Yuun Ho – A lawyer specializing in school bullying cases, said that entertainment companies need to learn how to deal with it delicately.

“It’s understandable that companies react this way because they need to keep their business going, but they shouldn’t make it difficult or intimidating for victims. If they continue to remain silent or take legal action, the victims’ voices will never be heard. the victims restore the past, as well as offer sincere apologies by taking full responsibility,” Noh told The Korean Herald.

In South Korea, where fans often value K-pop singers and expect them to have a clean past, past bullying scandals have caused some singers’ careers to decline or disappear. lost from the entertainment map.

K-pop companies’ denial strategy backfires

Last year, (G)I-dle’s Soo Jin was caught up in a similar scandal. Cube Entertainment, then Soo-jin’s agency, initially denied the allegations against the female singer and revealed that it would take legal action against those who spread false rumors.

But two days after the news broke, Soo Jin went to the band’s official fan cafe and talked about the allegations. The singer admitted that she had smoked a few times in school before, although she denied the charge of committing a violent crime.

The backlash against the singer’s denial quickly led Soo Jin to leave the band and the company.

Hyun Jin of the boy group Stray Kids, after his agency denied it, also admitted to rumors that he had insulted his peers when he was in junior high. He posted a lengthy, handwritten apology on Instagram, outlining his past mistakes.

“Whether that was intended or not, I don’t think I can be forgiven in the slightest for causing someone unforgettable pain,” he wrote. This character also admitted that he did not know how to consider his actions, so he hurt other people’s feelings. .

An official at the Blue Tree Foundation, an organization for victims of school violence, said K-pop labels need to do better at handling such crises.

“Victims relive their traumatic memories through public disclosure, but companies try to dismiss the scandal by saying there’s a lack of evidence because it’s difficult to consider a case that happened. before the idol star debut.

This can hurt the victim. Victims wouldn’t have had a hard time if the companies had handled the allegations right from the start. Agencies should listen to the voices of the victims, not the celebrities who belong to them,” he said.