The Harsh World of K-pop: What Korean Singers Are Forbidden to Do
Scandals in the South Korean music industry can arise from even the smallest things: wearing the wrong outfit, saying something incorrectly, or looking in the wrong direction. Performers live in a world of constant restrictions, many of which seem crazy to us. Sometimes they are even forbidden to eat certain foods, let alone play at TonyBet or bet on sports. Let’s find out what conditions artists are willing to accept to debut in the K-pop industry, which many call a soulless idol-producing machine.
No Dating
There are boy idols and girl idols, and when these two worlds collide, many Korean fans go crazy. Even 30-year-old musicians must appear pure and innocent in the public eye. Many fans see relationships as a betrayal. The logic is this: fans invest a lot of money, effort, and energy into a group, and idols, instead of working hard, spend time on dates.
One of the recent victims of the dating ban was Seunghan from RIIZE. Having debuted in September 2023, he quickly took an indefinite break after photos surfaced online showing him lying on a hotel bed with a girl.
In October 2024, the group’s agency announced that Seunghan would return to music activities soon. Korean fans rebelled, flooding the agency’s building with funeral wreaths. Less than 48 hours later, another announcement came, stating that Seunghan would indeed leave the group. Both idols and fans were shaken.
No Tattoos
At this point, many ARMY fans recalled Jungkook’s tattooed arm from BTS. But, firstly, it’s Jungkook, and his influence in the industry is too strong. Secondly, at first, he hid his tattoos for a long time. International fans even pieced together a puzzle of different photos to figure out what he had tattooed.
There’s another unusual example: Chaeyoung from TWICE, a girl group with a super-cute concept. She has small tattoos all over her body, so she usually wears closed clothing on Korean TV shows, unlike the other members. However, at concerts, Chaeyoung comfortably shows her tattoos to fans.
But Chaeyoung and Jungkook are just a drop in the ocean of K-pop. Many artists are strictly prohibited from drastically altering their appearance. Maybe right now, some young idol is sad in a rehearsal room because they can’t even get a tiny tattoo like a regular teenager.
No Eating Whatever You Want
There’s a legend that idols intentionally drop their cakes on the floor during festive online streams so they won’t eat them because they’re forbidden to eat sweets. This is just a rumor, but who knows.
However, idols sometimes share their horrifying weight-loss stories. For example, Momo from TWICE confessed that before her debut, she had to lose almost seven kilograms in one week, so she ate only ice cubes and went to the gym every day.
T.O.P from Big Bang once ate only unsweetened jelly and mineral water. Sometimes, he “treated” himself to red bean paste.
Another example is Jimin from BTS, who once ate only once a day, despite frequently passing out during training.
Even after becoming successful and famous, idols don’t stop tormenting themselves with diets simply because they’re used to eating this way and can’t allow themselves to relax or stop being perfect.
No Social Media Accounts Without Agency Permission and Control
It seems agencies fear that idols might post something inappropriate, causing fans to set fires outside the label’s building.
The day BTS created personal Instagram accounts, the fandom celebrated, as they had been forbidden to do so before.
The rule about controlling social media also extends to online broadcasts. It may seem like an idol is alone in a studio on air, but in reality, someone from the staff is often watching them from around the corner.
Recently, for example, a scandal broke in South Korea when the girl group NewJeans secretly held a broadcast without their management’s knowledge. In it, the girls urged HYBE, the group’s label, to reconsider the decision to fire Min Hee-jin, the person who had essentially launched their music careers. Of course, the broadcast was deleted, but NewJeans’ actions were very bold.
No Cursing
Cursing destroys the angelic image of idols, which is why it’s forbidden. In a way, this is a positive thing because communication between idols and fans in K-pop is based on mutual respect. Agree that this is often missing in the Western music industry. However, there are excesses in South Korea too — some fans become sasaengs, stalkers who follow their favorite idols.
In K-pop songs, you also rarely find any provocative lyrics. One of the recent exceptions is the track “Queen Card” (2023) by the girl group (G)I-DLE. In the chorus, the girls sing, “My boob and booty is hot.” It’s easy to guess that they faced criticism from Korean fans for these lines.
