Despite being a popular form of entertainment, Korean porn is controversial. It criticizes both Western and Korean culture and society. It highlights the issues that are prevalent in Korea, such as molka and gender-based violence.
A sex scandal with #MeToo implications is rocking Korea’s $5 billion K-pop music industry. Some of the country’s biggest stars have abruptly retired amid a media feeding frenzy that linked them to seedy sex crimes.
1. It’s a form of entertainment
The first time you see a korean porn music video, you’re likely to be blown away by the visuals. However, it is important to remember that these videos are a form of entertainment and are designed to make money. Therefore, they should not be taken seriously.
A sex scandal with #MeToo implications is rocking Korea’s $5 billion K-pop music industry, as entertainment companies invest up to $100,000 in training children as young as 11 in conditions that are akin to indentured servitude. Shares in YG Entertainment, which manages the singer at the center of the scandal, have plummeted 27 percent this week.
The Korean government has long been a major consumer of pornography. While the country is highly censored, many high-ranking political and military officials are known to purchase pornographic content from China. The country also has an established market for adult films that are often distributed via bootleg CDs from South Korea.
Despite this, the government has taken steps to restrict access to these materials. In fact, North Korean citizens face severe punishments if caught possessing pornography. They can be subjected to public executions or sent to prison camps, where they may not return.
One such case involved the North Korean pop group Hyon Song-wol, who was executed in August for “committing pornographic acts.” Her arrest and subsequent execution were widely condemned by the international community. Although her actions were technically illegal, the government argued that she had not intentionally committed a crime.
In the world of K-pop, it’s common for singers to be swayed by the demands of their industry. To become a successful K-pop star, girls are required to adhere to strict physical and sexual standards that many find unrealistic. In the past, this pressure has led to several cases of exploitation among young women.
The most recent controversy involves the alleged sex crimes of two male K-pop stars, Seungri and Jung Joon-young. The pair are both members of the influential all-male group Big Bang, and they were accused of using their celebrity status to exploit young female fans. The scandal has sparked outrage across the country, and both stars have since apologized.
2. It’s a form of exploitation
Amid the #metoo era, the sexual exploitation of K-Pop stars has come under increasing scrutiny. Fans are weighing whether they can love a product that’s cooked in an exploitative culture. The answer to that question is a complicated one.
South Korea may be a technologically advanced society with fast internet and high-speed rail, but it’s still among the world’s worst in gender equality. Women are still paid less than men, and school curriculum teaches that victims are to blame for sexual assault. These factors fuel a spycam porn epidemic that has ravaged the country for years. The tiny cameras — which look like lighters and can be found in dressing rooms, restrooms, public places and motel rooms – are used to film women without their knowledge and profited from on platforms, sometimes even during intimate moments, such as sex. The practice is known as molka, and it’s become so pervasive that police have launched an investigation into tens of thousands of cases.
Meanwhile, the fetishization of minors is endemic in K-pop. It takes many forms, including emphasizing underage star’s young age or making them wear clothes that suggestive or make them sing songs with sexual lyrics. It’s no surprise that NewJeans, a group that emerged from Mnet’s popular audition series, was immediately embroiled in controversy when it debuted in 2021. The band was accused of glamorizing and objectifying adolescence by dressing its members in tight, revealing outfits and portraying them as elementary school students in their music videos.
Then there are the scandals involving drugs and illegal prostitution, child labor and corrupt business practices. A director who worked with Gangnam Style’s Psy and Big Bang, Cha Eun-taek, was ensnared in a corruption scandal that involved the president of South Korea in 2016. He was accused of taking bribes from prosecutors and government officials to secure contracts for his clients. He denied the allegations, but a documentary that aired this week suggests that his behavior was indeed bribery and money laundering.
3. It’s a form of defiance
In an age where women are taking a stand against sexual harassment and misogyny, Korean porn music serves as a form of defiance. By daring to be different, Korean porn artists are challenging the squeaky-clean image of K-pop and the cultural expectations that go with it.
For example, South Korea’s most popular girl group SixBomb recently released a provocative music video for their song Hiccup Hiccup. In the video, the girls dressed in sexy outfits and posed as adult video actresses. The video was a response to the sexism and misogyny that female stars in the Korean entertainment industry face on a daily basis.
Likewise, Sulli, a popular K-pop singer, was targeted for her support of the nation’s feminist “no bra” movement and for her past relationship with Choiza, a man 14 years her senior. Despite being 한국야동 of online sexism and homophobia, Sulli has continued to be a role model for young women by continuing to speak out against the treatment of women in her country.
4. It’s a form of self-expression
Korean pop is riding high on the global music scene. But its bubblegum image may be less innocent than it seems. A sex scandal with #MeToo implications has rocked the country’s $5 billion K-Pop industry, which spends years training young stars in conditions that can be akin to indentured servitude. The scandal has prompted women to take to the streets in protest of the mistreatment they’ve suffered and the sexual objectification they endure as K-Pop idols.
K-Pop artists, like all people, deal with the sexism and misogyny that are rampant in South Korean society. Female stars are criticized for their bodies, their hairstyles and the way they dress. Some have been subjected to sexual harassment and even physical violence. One jewellery designer who worked with Sulli, a member of the popular girl band Red Velvet, recalls receiving angry threats and even a bloody dagger in the mail.
In addition to the sexism and misogyny they face from the public, female stars are often criticized by their own fans for being too “pretty” or for having too much body fat. The ttechang phenomenon, in which fans sing along to the music in unison while dancing, is especially controversial. The practice has been criticized as promoting toxic, sexist gender norms that pressure men and women to achieve a particular aesthetic.
But despite the sexism and misogyny, many people find themselves drawn to K-Pop. It is, after all, a cultural product that represents a modern yet deeply-rooted Korea that appeals to both domestic and international consumers. A recent tweet by American media outlet Variety, which praised HBO’s The Idol, was met with outrage in Korean social media. Revenge porn photos of Lily Rose Depp’s bodily fluids, masturbation with ice cubes and nightclub-owning scam artists were all featured in the first two episodes of the series.
Controversial K-Pop group SixBomb recently released a music video called Hiccup Hiccup that parodies Japanese pornography. The video features members Soa, Dain and I Sol wearing sexy outfits and portraying themselves as adult film actresses. The video was immediately banned by the Korean government-owned KBS television channel for showing sex scenes and a depiction of female genitalia that is deemed to be inappropriate.