North Korea describes K-pop as ‘slave-like exploitation’
North Korea attacks Seoul’s K-pop industry amid claims that young singers are living a miserable life
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Over the last weekend, a North Korean propaganda website has claimed that K-pop idols in South Korea are exploited, treated as slaves by large companies and living a miserable life.
Experts believe that this could be a bid to fight against the influence of South Korean pop culture in the country.
Arirang-Meari, the North Korean website, on 13 March, updated its news section with a report that said, “South Korean youth singers owned by big companies forced to live miserably,”.
The report specifically referred to hugely popular K-pop global bands BTS and BLACKPINK — and claimed members of the bands were “deprived of their body, heart and soul.”
It is also claimed South Korean juvenile singers are “tied to unfair contracts and detained at training facilities”.
The report claimed that big companies “strictly separate the singers from the outside world and put them through harsh training while allowing them to sleep only two or three hours a day”.
Read more:
According to the Korea Times, Arirang-Meari was launched in March 2016 by a North Korean organisation called Arirang Association.
The Arirang report faced a massive backlash from South Korean fans K-pop fans.
News reports quoted one user as saying: “Kim Jong-un must be an avid K-pop fan. Maybe he doesn’t want to reveal that so he wants his people to distance themselves from K-pop while he can enjoy it secretly.”
Experts believe that Kim Jong-un is keen on bringing in stricter regulations against the consumption of any foreign media including music, films and television in the country.
In December, North Korea passed new legislation mandating people to prevent the “spread of anti-socialist ideology” and then in February, the regime demanded intensified fight against anti-socialist and non-socialist practices than ever before,” news reports said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments