VICE Investigates, in its newest documentary, looks into one of the most progressive music industries of the decade, K-Pop.
VICE Investigates is an hour-long docuseries which features “stories told through a distinct reporting lens, immersive narratives, and fresh perspectives on the important — and sometimes controversial — issues defining today’s culture”.
The recent scandals surrounding the circumstances of the deaths of well-known and established K-Pop personalities as SHINee‘s Jonghyun, f(x)‘s Sulli, Kara‘s Goo Hara and Fantagio rookie actor, Cha In Ha have raised questions about the intransparency within, and of the working of the K-Pop industry.
In another instance, Burning Sun gate, a sex and prostitution scandal reported in the Burning Sun night club in Seoul, South Korea, that involves many A-list Korean celebrities was unravelled in 2019.
Big Bang‘s Seungri, CNBLUE‘s Lee Jong-hyun and singer, Jung Joon-young are among the several convicted for rape, assault and allegations of using spy cams. It seems that the K-Pop industry has many skeletons hidden in its closet.
Additionally, K-Pop fandoms display an exorbitant amount of toxicity. While being ardently devoted to their idols, they also express a sense of possessiveness.
These often include strict no-dating policies to appease fans, bearing through cyber-bullying, succumbing to restrictions set by their label and more. Personal expression is often censored and it can be very overwhelming, causing negative impacts on the artists, sometimes being fatal.
Often surrounded and stirred by contraversies, this documentary is VICE’s attempt at uncovering the truths behind the mechanism of the K-Pop industry.
The synopsis for the new Hulu installment reads:
No industry is as image-conscious or as micro-managed as K-Pop. With the recent wave of suicides and scandals, the question of what happens behind this heavily constructed facade grows. VICE goes inside the K-Pop industry to explore the dissonance between fantasy and reality.
VICE
VICE Investigates: K-Pop will air on Hulu, on 6 December.
Watch the teaser here: