K-pop Culture And Overconsumption: An Age-Old Business

Hello, my dear hallyu peeps! I have come up with a very serious and urgent topic today. And I believe, as an avid fan of Kpop culture like me, you would agree too.  

Have you ever wondered why the Kpop culture is so deeply criticized? Well, of course, there are nonsensical reasons, but there are certain serious reasons that are raised by fans like me.  

Kpop culture’s global rise is closely tied to a significant degree of consumerism, affecting fans, the environment, and the music industry itself.  

Fans often engage in excessive merchandise purchasing, driven by a desire to express loyalty and collect items like photocards and albums, which can be seen as a form of overconsumption.  

This can lead to environmental issues due to the high production and disposal of physical goods, as well as potential mental health impacts on fans and the industry itself.  

K-pop Culture and Overconsumption: Parents Of An Unhealthy Fandom

K-pop has gained significant popularity worldwide in recent years. Fans feel a strong loyalty to their favorite artists or groups.  

This loyalty drives fans to buy K-pop merchandise, attend fan meetings, and support album sales. However, this behavior relates to a “disposable Kpop culture.”  

When fans buy too many, many end up discarded, which harms the environment.  

This study examined the excessive materialistic consumption of Kpop culture by fans and their perspectives on its environmental impact.  

The results showed that most fans are aware of their excessive purchasing, but still buy an average of 14 albums from their favorite artists.  

They are motivated by a desire to show loyalty, collect items like posters and photocards, and increase their chances of participating in fan events.  

Respondents suggested ways to reduce the environmental impact of excessive production and waste.  

They expressed a desire to keep their loyalty without having to buy physical albums. The findings suggest that companies can leverage fan loyalty to promote environmental awareness, rather than solely focusing on increasing sales and profits. 

Fans’ Economy And How It Contributes To The Revenue Of Kpop Culture

A survey of 169 K-pop fans revealed that they spend money on albums, concert tickets, official and unofficial merchandise, online events,  

premium content, and products used by their favorite idols. Most fans buy these items to support their idols, to collect them, and for personal enjoyment. 

Some fans explained why they make these purchases. First, they want to support the idols’ hard work, as album sales influence music charts.  

Second, they enjoy it as a hobby. Some fans enjoy attending concerts, while others discovered K-pop as a new interest during the pandemic. 

Price is the main factor that affects fans’ decision to buy merchandise.  

A survey shows that 6% of fans have a budget over $61,212, while most fans (62.2%) have a budget between $15.34 and $60,000.  

Photo cards are a popular type of K-pop merchandise. Almost every album comes with a special collectible picture of any particular group member.  

Many fans want to collect all the photo cards, so they buy multiple albums or purchase them from online sellers. Fans find joy in collecting photo cards because they bring satisfaction. 

The Exploitation Of Art And The Artist

Experts say that relying too much on a specific group of fans is harming K-pop. This creates several problems, including a loss of credibility for K-pop, invasion of celebrities’ privacy, and excessive emotional strain on K-pop stars. 

Last year, the Billboard Music Awards introduced a K-pop category and decided to count only one download of a song per week.  

This rule aims to mitigate the impact of fans purchasing or streaming music in large quantities.  

Culture critic Kim Hun-sik noted that the music industry views fans’ collective actions as a sign of loyalty, rather than a reflection of the music’s quality. 

Another issue is how the industry sells closeness between fans and stars. Platforms like Weverse, Bubble, and Fromm allow fans to send private messages to their idols.  

Some fans have criticized artists for not communicating frequently enough, which raises some serious concerns. 

Some common concerns are about whether artists feel compelled to participate in these paid interactions. Lim warns that this leads to excessive emotional stress for idols. 

With this close interaction, some fans invade celebrities’ personal lives. For example, Aespa’s Karina received backlash after confirming her relationship with actor Lee Jae-wook. 

This announcement prompted her to issue a handwritten apology. The couple, then, broke up. This happened less than a month after the incident. 

Kim emphasizes that both fans and artists are being taken advantage of in a flawed business model. The real issue lies in the business model, not in the artists or their work. 

Kpop Culture And Rigging: The BTS Fiasco Unwind

Fans believe Seoul is showing disrespect to BTS, as the K-pop group has significantly contributed to the country’s economy and reputation.  

BTS’s agency, Hybe, is facing criticism after being accused of compensating individuals who were aware of its unethical business practices. 

South Korea is investigating Hybe, the agency behind the popular K-pop group BTS, for a chart-rigging scandal.  

Fans of BTS are upset, claiming the government is disrespecting the band. They argue that BTS has significantly boosted the economy and are calling on the government to apologize. 

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism announced that the Korea Creative Content Agency will investigate a petition claiming that Hybe was coerced into paying a third-party vendor and his accomplices, who were aware of its unethical business practices in 2017.  

The ministry stated that the agency will investigate the matter and seek answers from the music label.  

It also mentioned that the government received another petition requesting the revocation of the Order of Cultural Merit awarded to BTS if Hybe, previously known as Big Hit Entertainment, is found guilty of wrongdoing. 

What Is The Environmental Impact Of Kpop Culture And Its Overconsumption?

I’ve noticed an increase in discussions on K-pop forums about the environmental impact of K-pop and its products. K-pop relies a lot on consumerism.  

People often criticize bulk buying of albums, mass streaming, and fan gifts for harming the environment. Many outfits are worn only a couple of times, and light sticks are used even less. 

I want to discuss whether a K-pop group can be environmentally friendly enough. Where do we draw the line to say that the environmental impact is no longer excessive?  

For example, would having only one version of an album make a difference? Do they need to make the album from recycled and recyclable paper, and have transport-friendly packaging? Or is any physical album release too much? 

To me, an eco-friendly group would be very appealing, but I struggle to see how it could be effective. It seems like it would need to be a revolutionary idea. 

Moreover, one major problem is that fans are encouraged to buy multiple albums, which often end up being discarded.  

If music shows stopped counting physical sales for awards, or made it a smaller part of the scoring, that could help.  

It would also be helpful if fans could buy photocards and other random items separately from albums.  

This way, they wouldn’t have to keep buying albums to get what they want. Companies could still sell these items in mystery boxes. 

Although this will encourage bulk buying, this change would be more environmentally friendly. 

What Is The Role Of The Idol-Fan Dilemma?

In K-pop, buying merchandise is a popular way to show support for a group or individual. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, sales of K-pop products and services grew by 31.9%, rising from $40 million in 2003 to $5 billion in 2018.  

This indicates that fans frequently struggle to manage their spending on merchandise, which can lead to unhealthy habits.  

New K-pop fans might feel pressured to buy all the latest items or learn everything about their idols.  

They may feel left out if they don’t understand inside jokes or details about a group’s history. This pressure can cause them to overspend on merchandise. 

Furthermore, this might also cause them to spend too much time watching livestreams and other media to gain that knowledge. 

How Does A Financially Toxic Fanbase Lead to Overconsumption In K-pop Culture? 

K-pop fans often spend a lot of money because they are passionate about their idols, which contributes to consumerism and waste.  

In September 2021, Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, banned a BTS fan club to curb excessive spending and obsession.  

K-pop fans use their support to boost social media numbers for their idols. They also influence social issues and make a significant impact on the economy. 

High-end brands partner with K-pop to attract Gen Z audiences. South Korean stars, such as BTS for Louis Vuitton and Itzy for Burberry, serve as brand ambassadors.

This involves integrating the brands into their daily lives and content. In 2020, Kai of EXO collaborated with Gucci on a capsule collection that quickly sold out in Asia. 

The success of McDonald’s BTS Meal is another example of how brands collaborate with K-pop groups to expand their customer base.  

BTS is South Korea’s highest-paid commercial film star, and the BTS Meal brought in about $8.5 million for both BTS and McDonald’s. 

Regarding the tendency to overspend, K-pop companies often support or encourage this behavior.  

Additionally, when they release an album, they usually offer multiple versions as a marketing strategy.  

Devoted fans are likely to buy one or more albums in different versions, especially since each album includes random photocards of the members. 

What Is The Future Of The Overconsumption Of Kpop Culture?

As flaws in the K-pop industry become increasingly apparent, idols, fans, and agencies are taking steps to reduce waste and limit unhealthy relationships between stars and their fans.  

For example, the girl group BLACKPINK served as goodwill ambassadors for the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26).

As a proud BLINK, this scene makes me very happy. They did this in 2021 for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  

They promoted action on the climate crisis in a YouTube Originals special called “Dear Earth” (Sun-hwa, 2022).  

Additionally, the music agency YG Entertainment used eco-friendly paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and low-carbon paper for WINNER’s third studio album (Sun-hwa, 2022).  

The company also printed the album with bean oil and reduced the use of harmful chemicals to combat global warming (Sun-hwa, 2022).  

Moreover, fans are also making a difference by using their large communities to raise awareness about album waste in K-pop.  

A Seoul Beats author, Olethea, shared that fans are donating albums to charities, blood banks, or their members’ old schools as a way to dispose of them after fan sign events (Olethea, 2021).  

Moreover, another community effort is BTS’s ongoing collaboration with UNICEF for their Love Myself campaign.  

This initiative promotes self-love, entrepreneurship, and ending violence. Helen Wylie, a Communication Specialist at UNICEF New York, noted that “BTS raised US$3.6 million for UNICEF’s work to end violence” (Wylie, 2021).  

K-pop music connects people and provides entertainment. However, as the industry experiences a resurgence in popularity since the early 2000s,  

Individuals need to be aware of potential issues and find ways to avoid unhealthy behaviors that large companies may attempt to conceal. 

My Takeaway

Although I deeply appreciate the small but steady efforts being made towards addressing the overconsumption and exploitative aspects of Kpop culture, I believe there are still miles to go.  

I wish to see that one day, my idols are standing up against the dark side of the Kpop culture, and take strong measures against it.

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