[비즈한국] It is no longer strange to see international media paying attention to the passing of Korean stars. While they analyze Korea's socio-cultural background from their own perspectives—some of which are accurate—there are areas that seem to need further supplementation. This is necessary to prevent recurrence.
When movie actor Lee Sun-kyun passed away in December 2023, the reason international media took such a keen interest was that he was an actor from the movie 'Parasite.' The BBC in the UK analyzed that "Korea demands a 'high level' of morality from celebrities." It added that the reports of his alleged drug use had dealt a significant blow to his previously positive reputation. In other words, they evaluate individuals by focusing on their 'morality' or 'reputation.'
France’s Libération pointed out the uniqueness of Korean society through a Frenchman residing at a Korean university. Antoine Coppola, a professor of French film history at Sungkyunkwan University, stated, "In Korea, celebrities have long held the duty to set an example." Based on the premise that the French might not understand, he explained that "there is a kind of Puritanism where everything public must conform to social dogma."
Libération also reported that film figures were shattered on the 'altar of morality.' As examples, it cited actor Kim Min-hee and director Hong Sang-soo. The argument is that actor Kim Min-hee's inability to work in Korea and her appearance only in director Hong Sang-soo's films stems from this morality that borders on religious dogma. It interpreted the situation as one where celebrities are subjected to harsh criticism because they fail to set the required example.
There were similar reports from foreign media regarding actor Kim Sae-ron. When news of the passing of Kim Sae-ron, who gained international attention for the film 'A Brand New Life' (Le Voyageur), reached the public, The New York Times of the U.S. conveyed expert analysis stating, "The popularity of celebrities often depends on an impeccable reputation." CNN analyzed that "there is an atmosphere that expects perfection in behavior." They also pointed to malicious comments as part of the backdrop of the death, which is connected to reputation, image, and morality. In short, celebrities must maintain a moral, ethical image and a good reputation, and as the BBC pointed out, failure to do so leads to malicious comments.
While the analysis is persuasive, diving deeper into the cases reveals a more multi-dimensional picture. It is not just the malicious comments themselves, but the indiscretion of media reports covering them that drove these individuals to the brink. This stems not only from the media but also from the cultural psychology of Korean society. In Korea, there is little genuine interest in a celebrity's individual morality or ethics; there is only a concern that a 'rotten apple' will spread its influence to those around it. This is likely because the community's cultural values are very strong.
In Korean society, when a celebrity causes a controversy, a unique psychological mechanism is triggered. First, because celebrities are widely known, their words and actions are seen as influencing the public. Much like the saying that the water upstream must be clear for the water downstream to be clear, celebrities are believed to have strong influence and thus are copied by others. There is significant concern, in particular, that youth will be influenced by pop culture stars. Kim Sae-ron's drunk driving or Lee Sun-kyun's drug allegations fall into this category. People react sensitively even to mere allegations.
On the other hand, there is a prevailing belief that criticizing those who have caused trouble is justified for the sake of social justice. The idea is that if someone has committed a wrong, they must accept public abuse commensurate with it. This is why malicious comments are posted on public forums like web portals. Against this backdrop, the media also frequently reports in a way that easily overlooks individual rights and privacy. They operate under the belief that if the goal is clear, the means can be ignored.
In particular, content that takes issue with the behavior of 'improper' young women spreads easily on social media. If that same behavior were depicted in a book rather than on social media, the criticism would likely be less intense. Korea has a small territory and a dense population, and with a diverse media landscape, there are those who are even more worried about the influence of social media. This easily connects to malicious comments or sensationalist yellow journalism.
Recently, comedian Lee Su-ji's 'Daechi-mom' parody video became a huge topic of conversation. However, the sparks flew in an unexpected direction. As actor Han Ga-in was presumed to be the actual model, her YouTube channel was flooded with malicious comments, eventually leading to the deletion of related videos. Han Ga-in does not even live in Daechi-dong, yet she suffered from malicious comments for being a 'Daechi-mom.' Should a mother's actions, which have nothing to do with criminal or civil law, really be subject to a barrage of malicious comments?
The media environment of the 21st century is vastly different from that of the 20th century. People are no longer immediately influenced by the words and actions of celebrities. Therefore, there is no need to pummel them with malicious comments, YouTube videos, or articles. The public is wise and cool-headed. If a celebrity commits a serious criminal act beyond a simple controversy, they respond accordingly. In such cases, even "ticket power" does not work. If someone causes trouble and is punished, we should leave it to the market rather than blocking their creative activities. That is the power of cultural democracy. We should trust in that power.
The author, Kim Heon-sik, has walked through and explored the forest of popular culture phenomena since his 20s, with the expectation that there is a way to make the world better through culture. Even in the 21st century, an era of artificial intelligence and quantum computers, he continues to follow the same path with the same belief.