Under the glamour and shine of the Korean entertainment industry lies the most significant asset and liability of its success: fans and media. While stans are said to choose their favorites over anything, It's no secret that fans and media rarely ever forgive any scandals by celebrities. Innocent or not, they often meet with violent hate in the form of cyberbullying. It's so intense it's a 'modern-day witch hunt'.
1. Song Ji-A
She's more popularly known as Free Zia and garnered a large following after her appearance in the Korean reality dating show 'Single's Inferno'. She was popular on YouTube for posting lifestyle vlogs. Her downfall came soon after netizens put her wardrobe under scrutiny. It turned out some, if not most of her luxurious lifestyle was a knock-off, and Korean netizens felt 'betrayed' and lashed out at her through social media. She was labeled a traitor and further ostracized for translating kimchi as pickled vegetables in Chinese. Her accounts were wiped with only her apology posts left.
2. Taeyong Of NCT
Taeyong was condemned to controversy when rumors emerged that he was a bully in middle school. He met up with the victim when the incident occurred and apologized in person. However, the informant and victim later rehashed the incident during the band's comeback, citing personality problems and a lack of sincerity in his apologies and atonement to try and turn the public against him. Outraged fans called for his exit from NCT and threw barrages of hate at him on social media. Even though he was later proven innocent, there was heavy damage to his public persona.
3. Wonho Of Monsta X
Wonho was subject to intense hate comments and forced to remove himself from the group because he was accused of consuming drugs. South Korean TV personality Jung Da-Eun accused him of stealing and selling her things and using drugs.
4. Hwasa Of Mamamoo
Hwasa is known for her fearless and bold aura in K-pop. She doesn't fit the usual female idol stereotypes and continues to be the victim of the Korean netizen's hate train relentlessly for flaunting no bra looks and showing off skin. She has recently revealed how damaging the malicious comments turned towards have been for her mental health, quoting, "I thought it was just misfortune. So I even thought would this situation all end if I d*e? I'm a singer and I'm not the type of person who wants to do other businesses while being a singer."
5. Jennie Of BlackPink
Jennie has been the target of internet trolls and haters since her debut. From receiving hate for being 'YG's princess', to being called 'lazy' when she couldn't dance because of an injured ankle, the number of abuse doubled when her dating news with EXO's Kai broke. Later she was linked to BigBang's G-Dragon, which received even more negative responses. From being criticized for her costume in the 'Love Sick Girls' to being called derogatory terms on the internet for allegedly 'changing guys like underwear', Jennie has never caught a break from the netizen hate train.
6. Seo Ye-Ji
Seo Ye-Ji has been under fire for the longest time, scandals varying from bullying classmates in middle school, harassing her stylist, and her past romance with Kim Jung-Hyun, who most might recognize as Gu Seung-Joon in 'Crash Landing on You' - who she asked to refrain from filming any romantic scenes in a drama. There has been a veritable amount of hate floating around on social media for the actress.
7. IU
Lee Ji-Eun, also known by her stage name I.U has been the target of hate comments since her early era when leaked pictures of her and Eunhyuk from Super Junior. It escalated when BTS's Jungkook described I.U as his ideal type, and she has been getting hate from BTS fans' for this. Her agency has further revealed she has been the target of a hate group and has taken legal actions against them.
8. Goo Hara
Goo Hara of Kara is one of the biggest tragedies of the K-pop music industry. Goo was hospitalized following a suspected suicide attempt. Goo was abused by an ex-boyfriend after they split and was blackmailed over sex videos. Even though the man was convicted of multiple crimes, Goo was targeted by abusive online comments. Instead of sympathizing with the horrible violation of privacy and betrayal of trust Hara experienced, she was bullied, slut-shamed, and harassed by fans and media. She committed suicide. And even before her body was found, her Instagram was flooding with hate comments.
9. Sulli
Sulli of girl group ‘f(x)’, was a popular idol but sparked interest because of her outspoken mannerisms about her stance on feminism and honest accounts of her life as a K-pop idol. She spoke freely about struggling with her mental health due to constant harassment she had to undergo from the media and netizens for being an activist and not adhering to the status quo. She was part of 'Free the Nipple Movement’, and constantly posted photos where she didn't adhere to the stereotypical 'virginal and innocent' stereotype female idols were supposed to follow. She committed suicide in 2019, facing horrible mistreatment from the public, who bullied her to her last breath.
10. Tablo
Perhaps the most famous victim of hate is rapper Daniel Lee, known as Epik High's Tablo. Along with his unique musical sound, Tablo amazed the public by graduating from Stanford with a bachelor’s and master’s in little time. His achievements were put into question in 2010 in the worst way. In May, a group of Internet users created an online forum titled "We Request the Truth from Tablo," known as TaJinYo. Tablo and his family from thereon were the targets of violent and hateful public harassment, which went to incredible lengths to demean his career, personal life, and mental health.
