(Above image from Yahoo! News, 2022)
Whether that is through Korean TV series “Squid Game” and the enormous K-POP music scene with famous idol groups such as “BTS” and “Black Pink”, it is safe to assume that Korea has made their cultural presence globally and can be seen as a huge success both culturally and commercially in recent years.
However, Frankfurt scholars such as Adorno and Horkheimer theorised that culture industry is mass deception and only provides false enlightenment. (Meenakshi Gigi Durham and Kellner, D. 2006)
This theory can be applied to K-POP:
As a Korean, it’s personally great to see K-POP introducing South Korea presented as this beautiful nation with rich culture and positive vibes globally. However, it’s portrayal neglects the negative yet also important aspects of the country.
South Korea has the highest suicide rate (26 per 100,000 people as of 2021) out of all OECD countries, with mental illness linked as the main cause. Only few Koreans can afford mental health services due to high cost and is currently a significant social issue in Korea. (Rashid, 2023)
K-POP has been promoting energetic and positive aspects of Korean culture globally for several years. Yet, why aren’t the social issues of Korea getting much attention? It’s because it’s not profitable as much.
Adorno compares culture industry to a factory producing cultural goods, and is merely a distraction from real life problems (such as mental illness). (Walton, 2017) K-POP is not concerned about bringing true cultural awareness; it’s only real concern is how it can be utilised for monetary gains. In capitalist sense, K-POP mainly focuses on the positive aspects of Korean culture as that is the main appeal of their target audience. There is no economically good reason for K-POP to focus on the negative aspects (e.g. social issues) as there is generally less demand and can’t be commercialised easily as it’s such a sensitive (even controversial) topic. Thus, it traps the audience in this cycle of consuming only the positives of Korean culture.
Moreover, Adorno may view K-POP as false enlightenment since it misleads the audience to believe they are highly knowledgeable with Korean culture yet most are unaware of the social issues present in Korea. K-POP tends to portray Korea as this perfect nation with high beauty standards through the usage of K-POP idols. Although, that is not always the case in reality. Overall, K-POP can be seen as a form of mass deception; showcasing the goods while concealing the dark aspects of the nation when presented globally.
In short, Adorno may argue K-POP is just another culture industry from capitalist societies as it brings no true enlightenment and that the contents produced are mere distractions from social issues.
However, Adorno’s view is very pessimistic and can be argued that K-POP has done more good than bad since it became a key contributor to Korea’s economy; it single-handedly generates billions of USD ($) each year. (Redaktion, 2022) Moreover, several K-POP artists (e.g. BTS) have been promoting mental health awareness and more Korean TV series (e.g. SKY Castle) are starting to highlight the importance of mental health awareness. Although, these may be ingenuine and are another method of continuing the cycle of K-POP consumption.
References:
Meenakshi Gigi Durham and Kellner, D. (2006). Media and cultural studies: Keyworks. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 41-72.
Rashid, R. (2023). South Korea may look perfect, but behind the facade lies a devastating suicide crisis. The Guardian, 29 April. Available from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/29/south-korea-suicide-crisis-k-pop-young-people#:~:text=The%20recent%20suspected%20suicide%20of,who%20are%20bearing%20the%20brunt
Redaktion, A.F.M. (2022). K-Pop is making billions for South Korea. https://asiafundmanagers.com/. Available from https://asiafundmanagers.com/gbr/kpop-and-economic-impact-on-south-korea/
Walton, S. (2017). Theory from the ruins. Aeon. Available from https://aeon.co/essays/how-the-frankfurt-school-diagnosed-the-ills-of-western-civilisation
It’s a great topic! The most I know about Korea is Kpop culture, and I’ve also heard a little about social issues in Korea, such as low fertility and suicide rate. I have seen some news about idol’s depression or suicide. I think this is enough to reflect that behind the strength of the Kpop industry, there are many hidden dangers that need to be paid more attention by the government and public.
This is such a great example of the “distraction” that Adorno and Horkheimer talked about! I really like the images that illustrate your points, and I find your writing engaging and easy to follow. I think the last line about “another method of continuing the cycle” is very interesting– to what point is this rise in mental health awareness genuine? when does it become just another PR move to satisfy audiences that does not produce any real change?
Great blog! For me, it is very novel content. I have never known about K-POP before, and I believe that relevant government policies may be needed to prevent the increase of this situation. At the same time, it should allow public figures to receive some psychological training or treatment, as the pressure on artists is very high.
Very fascinating topic! Intriguingly, K-POP has created an idealized image of Korea, but important social issues are often overlooked for commercial reasons. This is not just a K-POP phenomenon; it reminds me of how many entertainment media, including glossy publications and Hollywood movies, prioritize money over social consciousness and authenticity. In this age of global media, there is a tendency in mass entertainment to influence people’s perceptions, and in my opinion, this phenomenon can have a very negative impact.
This blog was so well structured and I appreciate how you were able to link the theory and Adorno’s views to a current topic like K-Pop! It has given me another example to see how the Culture Industry applies to us and our society in today’s context, and I thought raising awareness of South Korea’s struggle with its suicide mortality rate was eye-opening as I did not know about it before reading this blog!
Blog is really informative, i personally was into K-pop but after the fandom craze went up I naturally developed a bit of disinterested, but reading how it effects the mental health of the artists i feel this blog has summarised it very well. The upcoming generation needs to be informed about the severity of their actions regarding the privacy and respect they need to have for their idols.