'BTS and BLACKPINK are treated like slaves', North Korea's claims spark debate

As South Korea celebrated the Lunar New Year, known as Seollal, an older report from a North Korean media outlet resurfaced on 10 February, sparking a frenzy on social media.

The report, originally published in 2021, criticized the treatment of South Korean idol groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK openly. These reports garnered significant attention from Korean netizens, as they detailed the alleged harsh conditions imposed by major South Korean entertainment companies.

"They are criticised for being treated like slaves, with their bodies, minds, and souls taken away by the vicious and corrupt presidents of these major entertainment corporations." A paragraph from the 2021 report which resurfaced on The Qooforum read.

Likening the treatment of idols to "slavery," the report highlights how entertainment executives exert immense control over these young performers.

Gaining traction after a popular online forum post, the report has garnered attention beyond Korea.

The report emphasizes that idols are bound by exclusive contracts from a young age, leading to their isolation from the broader world. It also added western media's approach and said they too have highlighted the injustices faced by these idols.

"Not only South Korean media but also Western media have reported that South Korea's young singers are tied to unbelievably unfair contracts from a young age, spending their lives confined to training camps."

Mentioning the global K-pop phenomenon like BTS and BLACKPINK in their report, they said, "Many teenage singers, including BTS and BLACKPINK, are being trained to become pop singers at a young age from elementary and middle school by signing exclusive contracts with SM Entertainment and other big corporates."

With the global ascent of the K-pop industry, it's clear that the report has stirred considerable dismay.

Fans and observers argue that considering the achievements of BTS and BLACKPINK, who have opened doors for other K-pop acts to thrive on Western front, such grueling practices seem out of place.

According to the article, idols and trainees are subjected to severe training schedules that include cutting down on their sleep duration to two to three hours each night, isolating them from the outside world, and withdrawing a sizeable amount of their salary to meet training costs.

Netizens react

To many, these sensational claims hold little weight as they are seen as mere attempts to criticize South Korea's flourishing idol culture and popularity, often dismissed as 'propaganda' pieces.

A user wrote, "Yeah maybe the kpop system is kinda broken, but I think NK isn't allowed to comment on that. Their system is more slavery than the kpop industry ever could.", others joined in, "No one cares what they say anws", "So BTS and Blackpink have a nation-level hater", "What kind of slave earns hundreds and billions of dollars?", "Well, if they are the slaves, I want to be a slave too lmao", "BTS and BLACKPINK must be also well known in North Korea lol."