SOCIETY TALK: South Korea’s toxic cancel culture

Such is the story of how I got dragged into the current global debate about Kim Soo-Hyun (KSH). KSH is a South Korean actor and model. Even at his young age of 37, he was the highest-paid actor in South Korea. Some of his drama hits include ‘Queen of Tears’, ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ and ‘My Love from Another Star’. 

KSH found himself on the wrong side of the Korean Netizens when his alleged ex-girlfriend committed suicide. Kim Sae Ron (KSR) was an up and coming actress in South Korea before she got into some legal woes.

KSR was found guilty of drinking and driving and causing damage to multiple public infrastructure. In typical Korean social lynching, KSR was heavily criticised in a manner unbefitting the crime. She was forced to cancel many projects and forced to pay a heavy fine that she could not afford. 

KSR suffered from financial troubles and depression before choosing to end her life earlier this year. It was only when her death was announced that netizens stopped publicly bullying her online and turned to their next victim… Kim Soo-Hyun. 

The K-wave is the global phenomenon surrounding the mass popularity in Korean pop culture since the early 2000s. K-dramas and K-Pop are popular among young people the world over. Every young adult knows who BTS is. Every little toddler can sing ‘APT’. And most of us working folks unwind to K-dramas or films. 

One such film that was well received in the English-speaking film industry was ‘Parasite’. ‘Parasite’ is a 2019 film that won an Oscar for its riveting story. One of the main actors, Lee Sun-Kyun, was investigated for illegal drug use in 2023. Lee was interrogated several times even though his drug tests proved negative. He later confessed that he might have been given drugs by a bar hostess who later blackmailed him. 

As soon as the news of Lee's investigation hit the airwaves, keyboard warriors took to the screens of their superfast Internet and condemned the man to death. Literally. They bashed him so badly that he felt trapped living a life of condemnation, ostracised for life. He was later found in his car, having taken his own life.

Because of the global popularity of Lee Sun-Kyun and the film ‘Parasite’, most of the world started being aware of the toxic cancel culture in South Korea. Celebrities and high-profile individuals are put in a high-pressure environment, where they are supposed to represent morality and values according to society. Mistakes are not tolerated and basically, celebrities are not allowed to have a private life. 

Many celebrities have died from suicide in South Korea because of this backward mentality. The keyboard warriors believe they have the power to destroy anybody who doesn't live up to their standards.

Popular artists are literally not allowed to have a private dating life by their own fans. Popstars like BTS and Blackpink are in servitude to their fans and cannot afford to disappoint them.

Such was the story of KSH and KSR. When it was discovered that the two were romantically linked, the mob once again socially lynched KSR. After her death, the same netizens who drove her to suicide decided to blame KSH for dating her as a minor even though he has produced multiple pieces of evidence that they dated briefly when she was 19 years old. 

However, the rumour mills refuse to accept any explanation on KSH's side as they accuse him of dating her when she was only 15 years old. This even though the age of consent in Korea was 14 at the time. As such, they have been relentlessly bashing the actor for months now. He has lost multiple deals, stopped actively working and faced losses with partners worldwide. 

The police and public prosecutors have all the information, accusations and evidence regarding this situation, yet no legal action has been taken against him or anyone else in regards to Kim Sae Ron's death. However the public will not be mollified until he ends up going the same way as all the publicly shunned celebrities before him.

Watching this story unfold has shown the horrors of what happens when we let society as a whole have power to become judge and jury over another person's life. Or how dangerous it could be when people believe they have the power to end another's career or life.