OPINION: Latest K-Pop Idol Death Underscores Abusive Culture

Despite K-pop’s global fame, the industry—as well as its fans—are not always supportive of its stars. Former Korean girl group member and mental-health activist Choi Jun-ri, known by her stage name Sulli, was found dead at home by her manager on October 14, sparking a debate over K-pop culture, abuse, and exploitation of stars.

K-pop stars are expected to behave according to Korea’s social norms, but Sulli’s career was mired with rumors and vile comments. A rumor spread in 2014 that Sulli was dating another K-pop star, Choiza, who was fourteen years older. According to the Guardian, she publicly acknowledged the relationship, contradicting the message from the official band page, which called the claims “malicious and untrue rumors.” Sulli quit the band a year later.

Sulli also provoked a flood of negative online comments after posting pictures of herself not wearing a bra in public on Instagram, defying Korea’s conservative attitude toward young women, Reuters reports.

Despite criticism, Sulli continued to post no-bra images, hoping to make society understand that “this isn’t that big of a deal,” according to BBC.

The pressure is high for K-pop stars. Park Jong-seok, the head doctor at a psychiatric clinic in Seoul, told the Korea Times that “many celebrities who debuted at young ages suffer from depression and anxiety” and “can be vulnerable if they get too much attention.”

Sulli is remembered as an outspoken supporter of mental health, feminism, and body positivity. She acted as a character with dissociative identity disorder in a single released in 2018 with SM Entertainment. Sulli also criticized the industry for not providing her and other stars with enough support and protection from negative comments.

Sulli’s death has rejuvenated support for an online anti-defamation bill which, despite receiving approval from 70 percent of the population in a Realmeter poll, remains under contentious debate in the Korean legislature, reports Reuters.