K-pop dark side: Why the west is suddenly skeptic about Kpop; BTS RM hits back

Dark side of Kpop: In the era when the craze of the Korean pop industry is taking over the world, the sudden discussion about the K-pop dark side in the west has raised eyebrows of many around the world. The Hallyu wave has literally knocked the doorstep of every music lover around the world,the fever has surpassed every possible level of craziness among fans. But, amid all of these lately the K-pop industry has come under the heat of harsh skepticism. The terms like 'overstraining the idol culture' and 'toxic fan bases' are becoming more prevalent. In short K-pop after conquering the world with BTS being the global leader is now into the talks for the darkside of the industry. So what exactly is the fuss about and is the west getting insecure with Asian domination? 

BTS leader RM talks about the West Prejudices

Recently in a Spanish interview the leader of BTS Kim Namjoon aka RM was questioned if worshiping the idols, overstraining the idols and rigorous training are all part of Korean culture. To which RM very subtly yet striking right in the west direction answered saying that The west will never understand why some countries like  South Korea emphasize so much on hard work. He states that countries which have been colonized for a long time, especially South Korea which has been invaded and separated into two different parts can only understand what the magic of hard work can bring. Today the world is looking at Korea and it's all because of the damn hard work. “But now, the whole world is looking at Korea. How is that possible, how did that happen? Because people are working f****** hard to improve themselves."


He explained "My God, you put so much strain on yourself, life in Korea is so stressful! You are in France or the UK, two nations that have colonised other people for ages. Okay, yes. You do things in this manner. And it contributes to the allure of K-pop. Although there are certainly shadows, everything that occurs too quickly and too fiercely has an impact.”

What is the Dark Side of Kpop?

The phrase "dark side of Kpop" was coined after numerous reports of Kpop overstraining term appeared online. Several K-pop stars have committed suicide as a result of being unable to handle the pressure put on them by their fans or the agency itself. The rigorous diet that is advised for K-pop idols is another phenomenon. This includes going without food for a period of time and only eating liquids or maybe an apple for the day. The idols' non-dating pact with the agency and a few toxic fandoms are some other considerations.