Multiple disputes over cultural and historical awareness have shaken the K-pop scene over the past 12 months.
K-pop act GFriend's leader Sowon apologized Monday for sharing photos of herself hugging a mannequin dressed as a Nazi soldier. In July, girl group BLACKPINK's "How You Like That" music video created a stir for using a statue of the deity Ganesha ― an elephant-headed Hindu god ― without understanding what it means to its Indian fans. K-pop titan BTS's record label Big Hit Entertainment also issued an apology in May for sampling a sermon by Jim Jones in BTS rapper Suga's song "What Do You Think?" The infamous cult leader was responsible for the deaths of more than 900 people in Guyana in 1978.
K-pop is expanding its international presence and its fan base is more diverse than ever. Given that the content produced by the singers and agencies are appreciated by numerous followers around the world, they are now expected to understand broader cultural and historical contexts. The recent controversies, however, show that the Korean music industry still has a long way to go.
"Today, K-pop is not only for Koreans. Stars and their companies are setting their sights on the global market, so they should listen to the voices from people in different cultures," Lee Gyu-tag, a professor of cultural anthropology at George Mason University Korea, told The Korea Times Wednesday. "They need to learn about various cultures, taboos and history to better understand their fans."
This view is echoed by pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik, who believes the K-pop management companies should create new departments or teams to handle such issues.
"Music videos, for instance, are usually made by producers who do not belong to a K-pop label. But each company needs to make a team and let its employees thoroughly check whether or not its K-pop content could be offensive to some people," he said. "They should stay more vigilant because a controversy tied to cultural or historical issues can tarnish a singer's reputation to a great extent. It is also crucial to swiftly take action ― such as making an apology ― if a company later finds out that something went wrong."
Sometimes, cultural differences pit local fans against those in other countries, as was seen in the case of GFriend member Sowon. While a plethora of international fans raised eyebrows at the singer for being insensitive about the Nazis, some Korean fans defended her, saying, it was "just a mistake."
Many of them drew a parallel between the incident and the dispute surrounding the Rising Sun Flag, an emblem of Japan's wartime aggression used by the Japanese imperial military during WWII. Many Koreans take offense at it, but those who know little about that part of Japan's history do not share their anger, and often wear the outfits or accessories adorned with what they view as "just a cool-looking flag."
"Likewise, many Koreans tend to feel quite distanced from Nazi issues," Lee noted. "But I believe local K-pop fans should try to understand the feelings and pains of the international followers instead of turning a blind eye to them if they seek mutual understanding and respect."
Kim also pointed out Korean followers should put themselves in the global fans' shoes when it comes to sensitive issues such as the Holocaust. But he seemed to imply that Korea does not have enough books or other resources that can help industry insiders delve into cultures of various regions.
"K-pop stars and the agencies can learn about cultures and history if there are good resources, but for now, there are no enough references for them," he said. "More needs to be done to promote cultural and historical awareness."