The Untold Story: Exploring the Stigma Surrounding K-pop
- Nana Nakano
- Dec 9, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 11, 2023
2023 was a big year for the K-pop industry in the United States.
According to The Korea Times, the U.S. imported the second most K-pop albums in the first half of the year, totaling a whopping $25.51 million. Boybands like BTS made headlines, with their album' MAP OF THE SOUL:7' becoming the first and only album ever "to sell over 1 million pure copies in the U.S."
It's safe to say that K-pop has become more prevalent in America, but the elephant in the room still needs to be discussed. To this day, there is a negative stigma that surrounds American K-pop. K-pop is "weird," "exotic," "disgusting", etc. One user even commented on a K-pop forum, "I was recently joking with my friend about how I can tell people [...' that I'm a lesbian, easier than I can tell them I listen to K-pop."
Talking to Chloe Lehmann and Erin Eskoff, this stigma is not unusual but somewhat untold.
Chloe's Story: Creating an Environment for Acceptance
If Chloe Lehmann told her middle school self that she would one day become the president of a collegiate K-pop dance cover team, she would be surprised.
Chloe got into K-pop in May of 2021, just as her senior year of high school ended. Her friends were K-pop fans, so she started listening to the genre. Chloe discovered the global phenomenon BTS, who had just released their English song, Butter. She quickly fell in love with the genre.
"I really love the [dance] performance about it," Chloe says. "Even if I can't understand what they're saying without reading a translation, I think that really speaks to just how powerful this music is because I can understand the emotion through just the melody."
When Chloe came to Chapman University, she joined Twilight, a K-pop dance cover team. She became an active member by participating in cover dance videos and performing at on-campus events. Chloe made a close group of friends from Twilight who all share the same interests and music tastes. Currently, she is wrapping up her term as the 2023 President.
But outside of Twilight, Chloe faces internalized stigma. During icebreaker activities, she feels hesitant to admit she likes K-pop because she becomes self-conscious of her peers' reactions.
She also describes instances during family gatherings.
"I would say that I'm a president of a dance team on campus, and my brother butts in and says 'oh, it's a K-pop dance team' in a condescending tone," Chloe says. "Like what is he trying to say?"
Her family supports her involvement in Twilight, but Chloe received some questions regarding her passion for K-pop.
"Comments that I've received from family members include 'why would you listen to music that you cannot understand?'" Chloe explains.
Another misconception people hold is that K-pop fans are obsessive. 'Sasaengs' describe an obsessive fan who invades these idol's privacy. Encounters range from fans waiting outside of idol's apartments to kidnapping attempts. Unfortunately, sasaengs give K-pop's fanbase a lousy reputation.
"From all the people that I interacted with, K-pop fans are really respectful and understanding of idol's privacy," Chloe says.
As Chloe steps down from her role as president, she hopes that she created a positive impact on those in Twilight.
"We are a K-pop club, so I wan everyone to be able to talk about their favorite idols, groups, and anything," Chloe says. "I really just wanted to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable."
Erin's Story: Reconnecting with Her Roots
Erin Eskoff accidentally discovered K-pop at the age of seven when she was mindlessly scrolling through YouTube. She clicked on a video clip of an interview clip with KARA, a girl group that was trending with their song "Mr.".
K-pop became a significant influence in her life, not just as a listener but also as a half-Korean. It allowed her to reconnect with her culture. Her mother is an immigrant, making Erin a first-generation Korean American. But Erin did not grow up speaking Korean, so K-pop became a way to connect with her culture and self-study the language.
Erin grew up in Santa Clarita, which is a prominently white city, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Not many of her peers understood her passion for a foreign music genre like K-pop.
"If you listen to K-pop, nobody ever dared to speak up about it," Erin says. "People would think, 'Why are you obsessing over these Korean people who don't even know who you are?'"
Since coming to Chapman University, she had always wanted to audition for Twilight. She decided to audition her sophomore year and made the team, but never felt comfortable telling people.
"When I first joined Twilight, I told people that I was just going to join a dance team. I never told them it was a K-pop dance team just because people may think it is weird," Erin says.
But as she participated in cover groups and met best friends, she felt she could embrace herself. As a junior, Erin can comfortably say she likes K-pop.
.Over the summer, Erin was a content creator and social media intern at KPOPCENTER (KPC), an America-based K-pop artist training complex. She participated in their dance sessions and met some notable figures in the K-pop industry, including K-pop choreographers and a songwriter for BLACKPINK.
"It's great when you're working for something that you're really passionate about," Erin says. "Then you can just geek out whenever because everyone else at KPC likes K-pop too."
By surrounding herself with communities like Twilight and KPC, Erin continues to embrace her love for K-pop.
From an Expert: Behind the Stigma of K-pop
K-pop is just music. But why is it viewed negatively?
The answer lies in the roots of pop music.
"Pop music in general has always been stigmatized as a lesser quality," says Professor Hye Jin Lee.
Professor Lee is a communications professor at the University of Southern California specializing in popular culture and media. She even teaches a course that focuses on the evolution of K-pop.
According to Professor Lee, pop music is often associated with being "manufactured" and "inauthentic." Reflecting on the early years of the careers of pop stars like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, many downplay pop music as a lesser version of real music. There is also a stereotype that pop fans are "screaming little girls," which undermines their artistry.
"K-pop has also another layer of being music that is not from America, so it was considered to be an imitation of American pop," Professor Lee explains.
Western culture is often patronized and seen as "superior" worldwide. With that logic, K-pop would be considered a lesser version of a subgenre of pop, which already faces a negative stigma.
Future of K-pop
Professor Lee says K-pop would never become "mainstream".
"There is no such thing as mainstream popular culture anymore because we're living in such a fragmented media landscape," she explains.
But K-pop is rising in visibility. During Covid-19 lockdowns, many people discovered the genre through YouTube and other social media platforms.
"Once the pandemic was over, we have seen an influx of K-pop artists touring in America," Professor Lee says.
As K-pop rises in popularity, fans hope for a judgment-free zone to support their favorite artists in peace.
Click here for a fun video of Chloe and Erin's favorite songs!
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