August 14, 2025 • 65 mins
Korean pop music, or K-pop, originated in South Korea but has become a powerful, global phenomenon. This multi-billion dollar industry manufacturers scores of pitch-perfect idols and groups, performers who become lead trendsetters in the world of fashion, dance, music and more. Yet there's a dark side to this fame, and a peek behind the curtain reveals a brutal, dangerous world of cut-throat competition, financial corruption and abuse. Tune in to learn about the dark side of K-Pop.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fellow conspiracy realist. It's Matt, it's been, it's stuff. They
don't want you to know you were you. This is
a classic episode about one of the most globally successful
genres of music in recent history, k pop.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Oh Baby, Look, Admittedly, I know everything I know about
K pop from what I gather while sitting at the
Korean steakhouse when I go with my son, because we
love those places and we go all the time, and
on the screens in every single one there is K pop.
(00:42):
But I don't know who these people are, what they're doing,
or why they're doing.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
You'll know BTS. You're not down with BTS.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I am aware of them, I think because they were
on SNL maybe or if they played there Albert.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yet they had something like a British invasion level pop
culture phenomenon occurring. K pop short for Korean pop music
originated in the ROK the Republic of Korea that South Korea.
It is a multi billion dollar industry. They make all
(01:15):
these pitch perfect idols and groups who come and go
their trend setters. Originally they were just trendsetters in South Korea,
but then they quickly became trendsetters and Taylor Swift level
stars in the East Asian sphere and now it's a
global thing. Everybody is at least aware of the term kpop.
(01:37):
And we thought back in twenty twenty, we thought, well,
if there's this much money involved, multi billion dollar industry,
is it all you know? Trumpets, sick dance moves, angel
farts and fun. Yeah, it's gotta be surely right, I mean,
(02:01):
surely nothing goes wrong.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
It can't sound like Destiny's Child and in sync in
these videos and songs and not be okay.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
And why do they always I don't think we get
to this in this episode, but a question I have
anytime I'm out in Korea is why is there all
there's like almost always one member of a K pop
group because they're often groups right of five to seven people,
(02:32):
there's almost always one member who's known for rapping.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, just like Lisa Lefti Lopez man I remember those times.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Toco Chase of Waterfalls. We did, and we found hidden
hands of plenty participating in the multi billion dollar success
of this industry. We were also, by the way, folks,
back in twenty twenty, we were a little bit concerned
that we might have some K pop fans coming at
(03:04):
us for this one.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Oh, come at us.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Bro Okay, we'll learn. We never we were going to
make a K pop video and choreograph dance moves.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
This whole thing we kind of did.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Check our Instagram.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Conspiracy stuff show, and while you're on the internet, please
check out the dark side of K pop. Let's roll the.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Tape from UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History
is riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now
or learn this stuff they don't want you to know.
A production of Iheartrading.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Hello, welcome back to the show. My name is Matt,
it's you.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
My name is not call me Ben. We are joined
as always with our super producer Paul. Mission control decands.
Most importantly, you are here and that makes this stuff
they don't want you to know. Gentlemen, I propose that
we skip the Twitter roll call for now. I just
want to check in with you all. How's it going
(04:19):
in our respective bunkers.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
It's going okay. I you know, family time has been great.
I have to say we're reaching the point now in
this saga, this situation where more and more of us,
at least me personally, are knowing people like a direct
(04:42):
I have a direct relationship with several people who now
have or believe to have come down with COVID nineteen,
and I would say while a lot of this downtime
being at the house has been pretty great to get
things done, to be a family and everything, it feels
like it's closing in a little more at this point.
(05:05):
That's just maybe personal feeling, but that's where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Quick question. Have the people that you suspect to have
contracted the coronavirus have they been able to obtain tests?
Because those things are pretty much unicorns in this country.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Not a single one, zero out of six.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
That's a shame. I wish them a speedy recovery.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Man.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah. The good thing is that of all the people
I know, four out of the six have fully recovered
at this point, so that's at least a very good sign.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
That's fantastic news. What about you, nol, I mean you
and I spoke earlier today. But how's it going.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
It's good. I'm okay.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
I had my daughter this weekend and then just brought
her back to her moms this morning, and we had
a nice weekend. We're kind of shuffling her back and forth.
I'm obviously continuing to work so it's easier for her mom,
who is not working, to do the home school situation.
She does have a small child as well, so she's
having to balance that, you know another my daughter's sister.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
But it's good.
Speaker 5 (06:10):
I've been doing a lot of things that I don't
normally do being home all the time. I talked about,
you know, working on music and reading and just catching
up on things and catching up with a lot of
old friends, doing some online gaming. If anybody wants to
online game, you can.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Hit me up.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
I'm all about it. I'm playing Borderlands three. I wanted
to share something really quick that I haven't told you
guys about. I had a listener reach out to me
on Instagram talking about how thanking us basically for you
know the show and continue to the show. He's a
fan of something I want you to know and also
a movie crush. And he said that he was dealing
with the coronavirus, that he actually got the virus. I
(06:49):
asked him a little bit more information, and he said
he's a patient transport person, an ambulance driver. I assume
in in Long Island. He could trace back to exactly
when he was exposed because his supervisors were able to
isolate the incident that the patient that he was transporting
and go back and kind of do process of elimination
(07:09):
so he could figure out when he was exposed. He
was exposed on like the thirteenth and didn't start experiencing
symptoms till last week, early last week, which that was
kind of interesting to me because that seems like an
awful long time.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
The good news is he's in his late twenties.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
He's you know, running a fever of about one hundred
point four and it continues, so it's not just like
it spikes and goes away. So that's you know, certainly
a thing that you can look for. And he seems
to be doing okay. He's just taking tile and all,
and he is in the hospital. I think that was
largely to do with his profession and just playing it safe,
(07:45):
and he said he's got nurses that are checking in
on him. But yeah, it was really a really nice
that he reached out to let him know that the
show was helping him sleep and just kind of keeping
him calm, and also to get a little information directly
from someone that was dealing with it. His name anonymous,
but he said it was okay to to share this.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Agreed, Yeah, and thanks for sharing that on air. So
peek behind the curtain here, conspiracy realists. Uh, we've been
doing the same thing, or at least I've been, you know,
Matt Nol and I have been. I've been sending you
guys text messages where I've been screencapping some some of
similar communications. Thank you to everybody who's been reaching out
(08:27):
to us to to thank us and even more importantly,
to encourage us to keep going even when the circumstances
are are fraught with plot twists like these are. These
are troubled days. So we're here for you. You can
find us as as a group. You can also find
us as individuals, and you can find our good pal
(08:49):
Nol on what'd you say, borderlands?
Speaker 5 (08:52):
On Borderlands, you can find me at the Cubists T
H G, C U, B I S T S if
you want to hit me up and do a little
little gaming' and uh commune connecting with some listeners and
plan plan some borderlands and just just really quick huge
thanks to this listener because you know very much on
the front lines of this. Pandemic putting himself in harm's
way and obviously is dealing with the repercussions of, that
(09:15):
but something that clearly he does not, regret and it's
very much a mission that keeps this person kind of.
Going SO i really really appreciated the information and also
just really respect you being willing to put yourself out
there and not really think of yourself instead of thinking
of others, first you, know.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yes big ups, indeed and to everybody else who's putting
their health and lives on the line to save and
protect everybody.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Else.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Yeah, yeah we've been including that, message but we simply
cannot overstate it. Enough and and, also you, know any
interest of, Privacy i've just been sending these messages To
matt And noll. Offline but if you if you are
okay with us sharing your story on, air please just
(10:01):
let us know in the, message and let us know
if you wish to remain, anonymous or if you wish
to have your name or a name attached to your.
Story there is no right or wrong answer. Here but
today's episode is not ABOUT covid ostensibly or not. Yet
today we are returning to The Korean. Peninsula this is
(10:24):
not an episode about my ongoing obsession with the Infamous
Hermit kingdom Of North, korea or our collective. Obsession, now in,
fact this in a way is a pop culture. Episode you,
see we're delving into the global phenomena collectively known as
k pop Or korean pop. Music so here are the. Facts,
(10:45):
first what is k? Pop it's what it sounds. Like
it's collective term for pop music originating In South. Korea
and it may surprise some of our fellow listeners to
learn just how recent this phenomena.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Is, yeah it's.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
TRUE i, mean TODAY'S k pop industry wouldn't exist at
all Without South korea's extensive modernization and a crucial, detail
their relaxation of, censorship particularly in the way this change
has affected the nation's ability to broadcast things on. Television
because back in the day before some of the reforms
(11:21):
took place in nineteen eighty seven that created the nation's Sixth,
republic there were only two broadcast networks in the entire,
country and they had just immense control over the kind
of Music South koreans were allowed to listen. To the
radio was also more or less under state.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Control, yeah, yeah think about all those times you've heard
people older than you maybe your parents some other loved ones,
say you, know back in my, day the television only
had like three, CHANNELS, UHF vhf, whatever and then you
just had to watch what was on channel three or
five or eleven or whatever it was in their part
(11:59):
of the. World this was the situation In South. Korea
this's not. Exaggeration and, also like you, said radio is
under a government. Control this means, that if we're being incredibly,
diplomatic we would say independent music didn't have much of a,
footprint by which we mean like. Zero these folks. Were
these folks were very much as state. Enterprise rock and
(12:21):
roll music as we think of it today or even back,
then was incredibly. Controversial it was often banned sometimes for
i would say almost xenophobic, reasons the idea that the
culture of the creed nation would be compromised by a
glut of this foreign. Music and there was a specific
(12:43):
way that musicians and songs met the. Public there were
these talent shows on. Television they aired on the, weekend
and again remember they were only like two, channels and
when the, people when performers won these talent, shows then
radio would play their. Music, finally but they would only
play the music of the people who had already you,
(13:05):
know quote unquote made it on those WEEKEND tv, Shows
so there was no like underground breakout star who went
from busking on the streets of soul to all of
a sudden blowing up on your radio. Station you.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
Know it's interesting like, jpop which is The japanese equivalent
OF k, pop obviously really didn't hit big until the nineties,
Either But japan had much more of a history of
like more diverse kind of musical, tastes especially after you,
know global conflicts and a lot Of american soldiers bringing you,
Know american music To, japan and then you, know When
(13:42):
japan kind of became this almost like had to rebuild
from the, ashes you, know of being, bombed they kind
of emerged as this like technological superpower and this very
pop culture driven. Society so that was much earlier obviously
THAN k, pop but very interesting that the boy, band
girl group kind of thing didn't really come around until the,
(14:03):
nineties around the same time that kpop was.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Happening, yeah because it's so, easy going back to our
earlier ongoing conversation for longtime, listeners it's so easy to
forget that this is kind of a new thing in
the grand scheme of. Events it seems like it's always been,
around but it's really it goes down to that nineteen
eighty Seven. Reformation that's when the soil was laid for.
(14:29):
This so after things are loosened, up after they're a
little bit less or wellyan with, censorship radio blows. Up
radio is everywhere af OR i should SAY. Amfm South
korean residents would hear new music that they had never heard.
Before they'd hear it on a regular. Basis it's, like
just for a, second every radio station became eighty eight
(14:51):
point five or ninety one point. One those are two,
great great local stations here In. Atlanta it's like everything
turned to college radio terms of the variety you would,
see and this included music from The, yankees music from
The United. States so people were digging it and they were, like,
hey this isn't that. Bad but radio is only part
of the, story, Right.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah don't forget those talent shows that those come back
in a big and important way for new acts and
new types of. MUSIC i, MEAN tv is really the
gold standard that it had been In South, korea and
it continued to be that way more than ninety nine
percent of the homes In South korea had access to
national television networks as early as nineteen ninety, two so
(15:35):
that's not long after the change over, there and.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Then people WATCHING.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Tv it was the, most it was the most viewership
that had ever existed Within South, korea especially on the,
weekends and that's when those talent shows, happen and that
is where you get all these new acts being introduced
to everybody In South korea all at.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Once yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. Yeah and THESE tv shows
still even now remain in the modern day one of
the biggest single factors in the success of Any South korean.
Band it's funny because you, KNOW i know that all of,
us all four of Us Mission, Control Matt noll and,
(16:19):
myself we're fans of music, history both from a sociocultural
perspective and just from the experience of music we. Like
so we all know that when you look at a
genre or a shift in, music you tend to look
more at a, gradient. RIGHT a lot of genres kind
(16:39):
of blend and slowly evolve into something new or. Different
but unlike many musical, genres k pop appears to have
a definitive starting. Point It's april, eleventh nineteen ninety. Two
there's a great account of this by research Named Hannah.
Waite she studies the history OF k pop and she
(17:04):
says that a group Named Coo taji pardon me If
i'm Mispronouncing cootaji And.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Boys.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
They are The they are the watershed moment OF k.
Pop So cootaji is the frontman of. This these a
couple of different. Bands, first he was in a heavy
metal band Called senowe Or, sinawa and they broke. Up
he got into hip. Hop he teamed up with two.
Dancers they performed a single called Nan aarreo OR I
(17:33):
know on one of these weekend talent shows you were
talking About matt And. Boom just like. That when they
perform On april, eleventh nineteen ninety, two k pop is.
Born this may make you think That Coo taji and
The boys actually won the, competition but, no, man they came.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Out on the.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Bottom they got the low score on anybody on the
show that. Day but it doesn't. Matter it was it's it's,
Like i'm trying to imagine what it's. Like i'm gonna
take it to my four year old. Son so he
had never tried uh broccoli, before and then one day
he tried it and he didn't like it at.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
All he's, like, ugh that is.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Gross but now he knows what broccoli, is and when
we talk about, broccoli he thinks about it and he'll
take a. Taste he's, like, hmm it's. Okay and now
broccoli is one of his favorite things that he can.
Eat i'm telling, you that's all that they. Needed they
need to just get that broccoli ON tv for a.
Speaker 5 (18:30):
Second it reminds me of like That do You want To?
Be A vj competition where that like super, skinny weird
looking stoner Guy jesse won first, place and the guy
that won runner up ended up ultimately becoming a pretty
big television, sensation like you had much more of a you,
know long lasting career IN, tv Whereas jesse kind of
burned out pretty. QUICKLY i mean he already seemed like
(18:52):
a bit of a. Burnout he had like some some
issues with drugs and alcohol and like you, know being
on the lamb ABOUT i don't, know it was a whole.
Thing but that guy what was Those dave's last? Name
he was The he lost the, competition but he ultimately.
Became he came out on, Top Dave. Coolier it Wasn't,
coolier it Wasn't, mustaine it Wasn't, navarro it was you,
(19:12):
know The, dave The.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Dave if you're if you're, Talking dave's on, Top i'm
always thinking Of Dave. KOLIER i, mean that's that's that's
the gold standard To dave's.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Right welcome TO Mtv. News this Is Dave.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Holmes.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Dave, yes.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
That's exactly. Right he's an Acceptable dave. SUBSTITUTE i, agree MAN.
Vj that was a dream. Job huh.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
So but the the whole point there is that the
the Whole South korean culture got introduced to THIS k
pop thing all of a, sudden all at, once and
they all saw it and they, went, huh that's the.
Thing it's not our, favorite but that's the.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Thing.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Yeah, Yeah well here's what. Happens so there's an interesting
role here in you, know there's something to be said
about the possibility of cultural. Policing you, know like like In,
france there is an official linguistic institute that monitors how
new words are entering The french, language and they're fighting
(20:09):
to quote unquote preserve. It you have to ask yourself
whether the judges on this talent show we're Playing ceo
and The boys to the left because they were too culturally.
Different one thing's for, sure the rest of the nation
does not agree with the. Judges this, SONG I know
(20:31):
goes on to dominate the singles charts Of South korea
for like seventeen, weeks and then for fifteen years after
that it. Remained it held the record for the number
one longest streak in the country's, history or the longest
time at number.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
One, yeah and this was not just like a. Band
this was like the beginnings of an institution and big.
Business recognize that recording studios record labels actually stepped in
to take over and formed a new studio.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
System let's take it out of.
Speaker 5 (21:04):
Staw when we say studio, system we think of LIKE Mgm,
universal you, know like the big movie. Studios this is
that kind of money and that kind of. Opportunity they
created this from, scratch out of the ashes of the
broadcast centered.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
System. Right, so then between ninety.
Speaker 5 (21:21):
Five and ninety eight you had three mega powerhouse music studios.
Appearing you HAD Sm entertainment often just referred to AS Sm.
Town and that was in ninety, five and then we
HAVE Jyp entertainment in ninety seven AND Yg entertainment in ninety,
eight created by one of the members OF cotyg And.
Boys and then we've Got, yeah that Was Young Joan.
(21:43):
Souk and so together these studios began to cultivate and,
headhunt essentially recruit what would become known as idol. Groups
and you, know we know this in The states in
terms of like The Backstreet, boys and as far back
as The New kids on The, block and you, know
more recently With One direction and these kind of super,
(22:03):
groups even as far back as The, monkeys you, know
bands that were built from the ground up by executives
for the purposes of eliciting a certain. Response it wasn't
like they were just doing it in their parents'. Garage
these were created as a business.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Ploy can't can we pause here really quickly just to
talk about how big this business has, become because we're
talking about the first big, three, RIGHT Sm, ENTERTAINMENT Gip,
entertainment AND Yg.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Entertainment so these.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Are the big. Ones it's the mid nineties to late
nineties when these are. Created if you look now at
lists anywhere of the BIGGEST k pop groups that are out,
there and there are so many groups that exist almost
this isn't all of the music labels that are controlling
all of. Them BUT jyp is still up, THERE sm
(22:53):
is still up, THERE yg is still up. There now
you've Got Big Hit, ENTERTAINMENT Kq, ENTERTAINMENT Qube, ENTERTAINMENT Fnc,
entertainment and there are probably a dozen more that CONTROL
i don't even know how many hundreds.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Groups it's.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Crazy here's the, thing a lot of those younger studios
are kind of a revolving door like we see with
government and private industry in The United, states because a
lot of their creators were formerly members OF k pop
groups are somehow affiliated with the industry and struck out
on their. OWN i do want to point out, also
when we say idol, group we mean. Idol these folks
(23:32):
are anything but idl. E they're actually living a, very
very difficult. Life so, yeah the first idol group comes
on comes on the global. Stage in nineteen ninety. Six
the founder OF, sm a guy Named Lee, suman creates
this group Called Hot, hot and he does it by
(23:53):
getting five singers and dancers who in his mind represent
what he thinks teams want to see from a pop.
Group so you, KNOW i love that monkey's reference because
it's just like somebody who's who's kind of aged out
of that scene. Going you know what the young folks,
like you, know they like they like a little. Gyrate
they like a gyrate with a, hip AND i like
(24:15):
a little uh you, KNOW i like a little.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Harmony this is what the kids are bopping too these.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Days, well they like these beatles and we need to
make more of.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Those we'll just call them The.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
Monkeys but what's funny about The monkeys is they started
off that way and then they made some pretty cool
records and a really psychedelic film called A head that
you guys should check out if you haven't seen.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
It, like they actually went on to be pretty interesting
in their own. Right.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Uh but, yeah that was that was a thing that
took the world by. STORM i have a, question like
maybe we're gonna get to, this.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
BUT i just want to SAY i Love red Rubber.
Ball everyone should listen to it when you get a.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Chance that's a GOOD i.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Think so it's a good vocal warm, up, though isn't.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
It that's hard to.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
SAY i really thought that was an hot.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Song what is h O T well what what what's your? Question?
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Oh, OH i mean they're called idol.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
Bands that's obviously where The American american idol came. From
it was emulating the system of talent shows that was
so huge that created this, industry.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah one hundred percent. Agreed and
that means that we can also trace the evolution of
all the other kind of shows Like America's Got, talent,
uh and you, know whatever their derivatives, are we can
we can trace all of that to this. Genre so
now we have now we have the emergence of the idol,
group the emergence of these these, huge these Like leviathan sized,
(25:35):
businesses and it's off to the. Races, nowadays the global
invasion OF k pop is part of a larger cultural
invasion CALLED hollyu or The Korean. Wave But, MATT i
really like something you pointed. Out how big of a
business are we? Talking we'll explore that briefly after a
word from our. Sponsor, okay we're. Back how big of a? Business,
(26:05):
well it's, global that's for. Sure that's an understatement of
the stuff they don't want you to know, history because
today the popularity OF k pop not JUST, hollyu but
SPECIFICALLY k pop reaches, far, far far beyond The South korean.
Borders there was a survey conducted in twenty nineteen where
they asked a ton of people in seventeen different, countries you,
(26:28):
know what's the word ON k pop in your neck
of the global, Woods and thirty seven point five percent
of everybody responding in all seventeen countries said THAT k
pop was super popular in their. Country and think about, that,
cause you, know not everybody in those seventeen different countries
Speaks korean rite or Reads. Korean the fans are almost
(26:53):
their own. Episode the fans OF k pop are. Rabid
they are fanatically loyal across the, planet and there are
even some what are called anti. Fans have you guys
heard about? This the anti fans who for one reason
or another specifically zone in and hate A k pop
(27:14):
band or a, performer sometimes because they feel like that
person is has done something wrong to A k pop
performer that they. Like it's very weird like, this this
is a graphic, thing but the level of stalking here
has entered like fatal attraction cape fear degrees of. Extremes
(27:39):
not to be too, crass but fans have in the
past sent letters proclaiming they're undying love to again people
they've never. Met but these letters have been written in,
blood particularly menstrual, blood at least a few. Cases, yeah, yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Well they'll even go so far as to set up
cameras And mike's in the hotel rooms of traveling musicians
as these bands as they're going, around they'll like show
up early and basically bug the rooms before the band gets,
there and then versus record them and put.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
Videos NOW i THINK i may have mentioned this to, You,
ben but WHEN i got back from a trip not
too long, ago in the in the gate at The
Atlanta Heartsfield Jackson, airport there was a group of what
appeared to Be japanese Or korean school aged, girls and
they were wearing you, know the traditional kind of school,
(28:42):
garb like the you, know a skirt and kind of
like a uniform. Top and they were all wearing, masks
SO i couldn't quite tell what their nationality, was AND
i was also From, afar but they all had these
very pricey looking telephoto lenses and we're all just snavity
snapping it up at these four dudes hanging out in
the corner looking on their. Phones, Uh AND i believe
(29:06):
they had to have either Been jay OR k pop.
Dudes But i'm, like how are these these young ladies
happened to be traveling with? Them or what's the? Deal,
like like are they following them around the? Country like it's?
Speaker 3 (29:19):
That is that a? Thing like what's?
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Up? Oh, yeah, YEAH i Found uh the communication network
for fan groups is. Extensive they could probably teach intelligence
agencies a few things to be. Canted they, had Like
i'll never. Forget. UH i was spending some time In
koreatown In tokyo and we saw something kind of the same,
(29:41):
thing just sitting getting like A macha tea or some
or whatever kind of coffee house, confection and then all
of a, sudden there was this mob of people, with
as you, said very expensive professional grade telephoto lenses and
they were they were just they were waiting for these
people who literally just sort of like walked by. Nonchalantly
(30:05):
maybe one guy. Posed and it was nuts to see
that up. Close it was almost like it was almost
like how whale hunters or whale watchers must feel when
they're out in the boat and all of a, sudden
they see this enormous thing rising from the. Depths it's a, huge,
huge huge. Industry and you, know just to give some
(30:27):
numbers about how big this, is we were talking about this off.
Air the true financial, numbers especially for those big three,
studios are a little, squirrely at least in my. OPINION
i honestly think they're being. Underreported but you can find some.
(30:49):
Estimates but as we're going to, learn those estimates leave
something to be. Desired we can talk about some specific
global milestones THAT k pop has. Reached you will call
the first YouTube video to reach one billion. Views everybody
remember what that one, Was Zi gangham. Style it was
(31:09):
the very same By, si who's interesting because he's not
like your TYPICAL k pop person in. Appearance but, yeah
he reached the billion, views and as we, record the
numbers continue to climb for just that one.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
Video, well first of, all that must have had something
to do with the fact that was one of the
first ones to really hit big In.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
AMERICA i think.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
So, YEAH i, agree because.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
It was huge In america and it was mainly because
it was just. Funny it was a, really really funny.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
Video it was really brilliantly, produced with all the dance
moves and like all the crazy, pyrotechnics but it had
this tongue in cheekness to it THAT i think really
just hit at the time where like absurdist comedy was really,
big Like tim And eric and things like. That SO
i think that fascination with some of these you, know
culture phenomenons and being able to kind of glom onto
(32:02):
the sort of absurdity of it all really made it
go over the. Top because that was the first EVER
k pop thing THAT i was ever.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Really intimately familiar, with AND.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
I don't know that there's ever been another one since
then THAT i was as familiar.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
With well, here, YEAH i would, Agree but let's imagine really,
quickly how much is that? Worth a billion views on? That?
Now just from our experience on, YouTube you you, know
that's that's probably a fairly that's a nice chunk of,
money but you, know it's YouTube. Money it's you, know it's,
(32:39):
okay but that's not going to make anybody a millionaire.
Necessarily even if you did that a bunch of, times
you might get there. Eventually and then think about album sales,
now and let's say twenty twenty and even the twenty,
tens album sales aren't what they used to be because
streaming became such a, thing and you have to imagine
(33:03):
how much money is actually being generated by A si
or by the BIGGEST k pop band out there right?
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Now, ah interesting you say. THAT i would like to
Quote spaceballs or any number Of Danny, DeVito Frank reynolds
subplots and Always sunny In. Philadelphia it's, merchandising you.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Know WHAT i.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Mean that's where a lot of the money is. Likely
that's a great, Point. Matt let's talk, turkey believe it or.
Not as of twenty, nineteen a SINGLE k pop band
and let's, see fellow, listeners fully conspiracy, Realists let's see
if you can guess who it is while you're listening
along at, HOME a SINGLE k pop band is worth
an estimated four point six five billion DOLLARS. Us, wow
(33:48):
can you? GUESS i bet you guys already.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
KNOW i think it's probably.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
What is?
Speaker 2 (33:56):
IT xo close it?
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Is it is what appears to be a short grouping
Of english. Letters IT'S, bts the the elephant in the
room OF k pop whenever we talk about. IT bts
was also the FIRST k pop group to reach number
one on The billboard. Charts they also still hold the
(34:21):
record for the best selling album in all Of South
korean history from like since the first album came out
In South korea.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Ever wow, Wow you, KNOW i only learned about them
when they went On Saturday Night. Live but they were
pretty great. Performers that's ALL i really know about.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Them they're a little bit. DIFFERENT k pop fans have
assured me because in a lot of in a lot of,
performances you might hear that some kpop bands are lip
syncing their, songs BUT bts is famous for always actually
singing the. Songs and you know, what even if you're
not a you gotta respect the. Hustle you got to
respect those dance. Moves those guys have it on. Lock
(35:06):
they're on point. Now they also performed live in front
of a million people in person In Times square In
december twenty, nineteen ringing in The New, year and one
billion other people tuned in via. Television those numbers are.
Insane we could dedicate an entire podcast, series not just the,
(35:28):
show a series to k pop, alone and doubtlessly many
other podcasts, Have but we just wanted to articulate the broad.
Strokes we wanted to give you the lay of the.
LAND k pop is, successful it's, huge it is a
global economic force all its. Own but we would be
remiss if we didn't have just like a little fun with.
(35:49):
This so we've Named we've NAMED, Xo we've NAMED, ci
we've NAMED, bts and we've named the you, know the
group that made the FIRST k pop appearance back there In.
April but let's, See, matt you found you found some
other names that you wanted to share with.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Us huh, yeah let's do. THIS i just looked up
a couple lists of what would be considered the top
selling or most POPULAR k pop groups that are out
there right now as OF i think seven days. Ago uh,
so here here's Some Black Pink got, Seven Stray kids
(36:29):
twice t Xt Red VELVET nct one twenty seven, Seventeen
Mama MoU icon with a k monst X AT's super
M Astro giddle or is it G.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
IDYL i think it's G.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Idyl i'm Not i'm not the authority there.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Anyway there's A Ton Pentagon day SIX x one ONE
us ONE US A PINK xp. Edition there's just so.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
Many, yeah there's so, many and you picked some great.
ONES i am sorry to inform all our fellow listeners
That Stray kids And twice are two different. Bands for some,
REASON i love the idea of a band that's just
Named Stray Kids twice.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
Me.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Too they're just So they're so. WONDERFUL i love all those.
Names it's so much. Fun it just feels like screen
names to, me weird.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
Screens remember when everything used to be surrounded by like,
x's like lowercase LOWERCASE x than the UPPERCASE.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
X it wasn't a straight edge thing for a.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
While it was in some. Circles, yeah like people would you,
know people would draw x's or even tattoo x's on their.
Flesh this this is interesting because these, bands we have
to emphasize it's not just about the. Music there's the,
fashion there's the, tone there's a of, course the. Merchandising
(37:57):
but this is not all that kpop, is and it's
tragic and it's unfortunate that we have to say. That
it's the point of our episode today BECAUSE k pop
is not all cutting edge, fashion smiling teens and scads
of money minted from catchy love songs that are written to.
Algorithm k, pop you, see has a dark, side and
(38:19):
we're diving in after a word from our. Sponsor here's
where it gets.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Crazy, yeah it turns out there's a very dark side
to this. Business and in a lot of, ways what
we're going to be talking about ahead reflects some of
the issues that we've talked about before in the music
industry just, globally as well as entertainment industries across the,
world especially In hollywood and in The United. States but
(38:55):
it's very own brand of dark. Side just a word
of warning coming. Up this will make some of you.
Uncomfortable we're going to be talking about allegations of, abuse
sexual and. Otherwise just a word of, warning let's talk about.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
It, yeah. Yep for the past several, years, decades, REALLY
k pop has encountered a number of scandals and then
a greater number of suppressed or hush hush scandals that
give lie to the squeaky clean image the bands and
their management work so hard to project to the outside.
(39:34):
World here are just a few we wanted to want
to isolate some broad categories of. Issues the first, okay
so we mentioned one band. ALONE bts is a multi
billion dollar industry by. Itself that's a very extreme, example
but there's there's no arguing that a lot of these
bands make a ton of. Money and that's our first.
(39:57):
Question that's our first. Issue who act actually gets that?
Revenue who gets the? Money the answer might surprise.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
You, yeah it's.
Speaker 5 (40:05):
True and you, know we're gonna see some parallels with
this and the way artists are treated in The states,
too but this is a much.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
More egregious version of.
Speaker 5 (40:12):
This performers sign contracts that can last as long as fifteen.
Years that's. Insane we definitely don't see in terms of
that length in The United.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
States and just to give you an idea of, that
the terms are somewhere between seven and fifteen, years the
ones that at Least i've come. Across and when you're
talking about a talent contract or something like, that, Terms,
yeah As nola is, saying that's an exorbitant amount of.
Time terms are usually in the year to you, know
(40:41):
a couple of, years five years maybe, maximum but that's a.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
Lot, yeah that's essentially like signing away your adolescence to a.
Company and you, know and that goes along with the
profit ratios as. Well we're looking at eighty percent seeded
to the, company twenty to the, artists or ninety percent
of the company and ten percent to the. Artists so
it's like a almost like a form of indentured.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Servitude, absolutely and keep in mind that if you are
in a, group that figure is even worse for you
because that ten or twenty percent is typically going to
be split between you and all your band. Members, this
this is this is important because those seven to fifteen
year contracts aren't just like put out x amount of,
(41:31):
albums do live, shows is requested in, appearances they're they're
things like morality, clauses incredibly strict rules on your public,
interaction even your your private, interaction and this does function
at its worst as indentured. Servitude they've actually been called
slave contracts because it's meant to keep the performers entirely
(41:56):
dependent on their label. Owners because the way the way
that these groups are created is very, competitive and people
training in groups for just a chance to be in
A k pop. Outfit so you, know as an individual
performer in many cases that if you don't toe the,
line there are hundreds of people right behind you who
(42:19):
will jump at an even worse deal and.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Just to really expand on that for a. Second and
a lot of the reporting about, this AND i don't
know the full reality of, it but certainly from the,
reporting the training that occurs just to essentially be auditioned
at some point or to be like a stand in
to get into one of these groups if a member
leaves or. Something you are training for literally ten years
(42:45):
before you become a member of one of these major.
Groups if you're going through some of the big you,
know the big schools essentially the k pop schools that
exist out, there.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Well the wait that means they're starting you off when
you're very very, young RIGHT a lot of times other
times the ages range pretty extensively.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
There BUT i would, say, yes starting out young and
going through the system to then hopefully one day get
one of those. Contracts and when you get into a.
GROUP i don't know if you've noticed, this but the
k pop groups range from two people to generally about
five to seven people and go up to in the dozen,
dozen like literally a dozen.
Speaker 3 (43:26):
People in one.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Group and we're talking about splitting that, money you, know
twenty percent to maybe ten. Percent that's so, Intense, Ben.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
Yeah and it depends on what the you, know is
that ten or twenty percent that stated on, paper is
that the actual percentage of the hall h color me
skeptical or colored me. Cenical but here's another thing about
that age range. Question, yes starting early is advantageous because
there is one big difference between this type of music
(43:56):
industry and the pop industry here in The United. States
there are many, differences but here's what a lot of
people don't think. About these groups often have kind of
hardwired expiration dates or breakup. Dates because The republic Of,
Korea South korea has mandatory military. Service that means that
you are already on a ticking clock leading up to
(44:19):
the time in which you must, enlist and that means
that you have a very limited window of time to
make it. Big and you also don't have a huge
opportunity to fight back against this system if you if
you want, to you, know get better representation or make
(44:40):
things better for. Performers, overall you're it's brilliant in the
way that it has been. Calculated but, unfortunately like that's,
bad that's. Terrible but you, know we can't cast too
much dispersion because that's the music industry across the. World
the world Over there's another which is unfortunately shared with
(45:01):
many other countries music, industries and that is sexual. Abuse
sexual abuse in a couple of different. Ways one of
the most famous examples is something called The Burning sun.
Scandal this happened about a year ago this. Month there
were several MALE k pop, stars including a guy Named
(45:23):
sungri and again we don't speak kreat here's what you
need to know about. Him he was a member of
a boy band Named Big, bang and he and one
of his, Associates he and a couple of his, associates
a former member of a group called Ft, island and
a singer and songwriter Called Jung Jun, yung were implicated
(45:43):
in a spycam sexual abuse. Scandal the songwriter was sharing
videos of women filmed without their consents in a group.
Chat and when we say without their, consent this isn't you,
know this is all, Terrible but it's not like they.
Were they weren't just filming people naked or exposed without their.
(46:09):
Consent they were filming gang sexual assault on women who
had been, drugged women who had been plied with drink
and were unconscious or. Unresponsive this is demonic. Stuff and then,
yeah and then it turns out it's Called Burning sun
scandal Because sungri had ties to a nightclub Called Burning,
(46:32):
sun and that's where a lot of this sexual assault took.
Place the three men involved got five and six year prison.
Sentences but the controversy there, is first, off is that
a fair, sentence you, know were the was there a
massive popularity somehow swaying the public toward giving them a lighter,
(46:56):
Sentence and that that leads us to something else, too
which is that they're they're proving cases WHERE k pop
stars have been more or less forced to sleep with
powerful people in the, industry either to advance their own,
career they're sleeping with someone in a position of, power
(47:19):
or a person in position of power tells them to
go sleep with someone else and they're sent. Out is
this this has forced sex work and it. Happens it's. Happening.
Speaker 2 (47:30):
Yeah according TO Bbc, news this is an issue that
runs pretty rampant within the. Industry where are the where
there are these clubs Like Burning sun that exist all
over the, place where THE k pop stars will go
to to make appearances in those kinds of, things and
then because of those, contracts there's this pressure that's felt
(47:51):
to just go and do whatever you are told to,
do and oftentimes it is exactly what been.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
Described, again THAT'S Bbc.
Speaker 2 (48:00):
News that's not you, know some other reporting agency that
you know is fairly unknown making. Allegations this IS Bbc
news actually doing some some digging into this.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
And this this tragic, situation combined with the terrible issues
with the contracts and the financial, uh the opportunity for financial,
corruption those two alone would be enough to be a horrific.
Episode but it doesn't stop. There there's something there are
(48:33):
a couple of other things we need to talk.
Speaker 5 (48:35):
About, YEAH i, mean think about what it must feel
like to be kind of bred almost to be this
squeaky clean image not only that you, know of pop
music and of, like you, know good, times but very
very g rated kind of uh and also sort of
an ambassador for your. Country there were some, folks men
(48:59):
and women alive who have just buckled under the strain
of these brutal, schedules rehearsal regiments and just the. Expectation
we've got a story About Kim jong, hun who's twenty,
seven who was a member Of. Shini he took his
own life in twenty seventeen after talking about how intense
(49:21):
this pressure. Was and of, course you, know you think
of people having extreme success and everything being easy, street
but think about the pressure and anxiety of losing, everything
And i'm sure this is something that we've seen is
wielded by some of those, handlers, Right and then we've
got another one In october of twenty.
Speaker 2 (49:41):
Nineteen, yes this In october twenty, Nineteen suley twenty five year.
Old she's a former member of the girl group F.
Speaker 3 (49:50):
X she also took her own.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
Life and then just a month, later woman Named, kuhara
who was in a group Called kara and then she
was also a solo, performer she took her own life
and she actually was a close friend Of. Sulee so
the two of them in two months twenty five and
(50:13):
twenty eight both took their.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
Lives, tragedy, tragedy and they're they're not the only examples
you can, see you, know to your, point now you
can see how unsustainable and demanding it could be to
to literally have this contract that says you have to be.
Perfect you, know you can't do a lot of the
things that normal kids do when they're, teenagers are in their,
(50:37):
twenties you, know like, dating maybe having a long term,
relationship maybe even pursuing. Kids you have to be this
twenty four to seven, advertisement you, know and that's just
not how people are built to live.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
Well and if you're a, female you also have to
essentially starve, yourself especially in this, system because there's a
there's reporting on, this and it's just to keep that ideal.
Image it's not you, know not only the ideal image
outwardly as far as your, actions it's what you look.
Like and there's also a massive problem with plastic surgery
(51:14):
where young people are getting plastic surgery to look a
very specific way.
Speaker 3 (51:20):
To meet these.
Speaker 2 (51:21):
Standards and there are several, alleged let's, say cases where
that plastic surgery was not the choice of the, individual
it was the choice of the you, know the controlling
members of that the, group the company.
Speaker 1 (51:37):
Essentially, oh AND i want to point out one thing
that many of us might not know is That South
korea actually has the highest rate of plastic surgery per
capita in the, world and the most popular surgeries are
things like skin, whitening those jobs and double it's called
(51:59):
double eyelid. Surgery that's where you're change the state of
your epicanthic, fold and it's all to make these people
more closely resemble this kind of idealized physical, image you
know WHAT i, mean even if it's.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
Unrealistic And, BEN i wanted to bring this up because
we're touching on it, Here, noel you're talking about kind
of that g rated lifestyle or you, know that state
of perfection where you can't be seen to be doing
anything wrong in, public, right and yet the both males
but especially females IN k pop are overtly, sexualized like
(52:41):
so overtly.
Speaker 3 (52:42):
Sexualized and that's.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
Not completely across the, board BUT i would estimate ninety
percent of the groups are overly, sexualized both in you,
know clothing that's being worn and in choreography especially and
the way that they are seen by the, camera you,
know the gaze of the. Camera so there's this kind
(53:05):
OF i don't know what you call, it this balancing
act there between these perfect g rated. People but then
also like the way they're.
Speaker 5 (53:13):
Portrayed you're absolutely right now you see WHAT i was
getting at, though, Right like it's almost like there's this
squeaky clean, image like the sexualization is almost, innuendo you
know WHAT i. Mean like you would never actually think
of them having sex or being sexual beings who are in.
Control they're just. Objects they're sort of like anime characters
(53:33):
or something like that that are kind of trotted out
and there's no humanity to, them you, know that's the
way they're.
Speaker 3 (53:37):
Portrayed kind. Of, YEAH i guess.
Speaker 2 (53:40):
SO i think it's just it reminds me of somebody
Like Britney spears that had that similar. Thing like if
you remember when she was first becoming, popular and she's
portrayed as this schoolgirl in this very innocent way and
yet hyper.
Speaker 3 (53:58):
Sexualized it's just.
Speaker 2 (54:02):
It's just we you, know we're talking about all these issues,
here and you can just almost feel how the portrayal on.
CAMERA i think a lot of times ends up being
one of these major issues where there's a disconnect between
what's being seen by the end user somebody at their,
house you, know watching one of these. Videos there's such
(54:26):
a disconnect between that image that's being seen and then
the actual human being that is attempting to function within this.
Speaker 3 (54:32):
System, absolutely NOW i completely agree with.
Speaker 1 (54:35):
You, yeah, yeah, SAME i think we're all in agreement. Here,
one you, know one terrifying aspect of this we have
to point out is you don't see this talked about as,
much but our neurological research proves that a person in
this age, range oftentimes their brain is still. Developing so
(54:59):
being in this kind of situation can have lasting effects
on you, know on the structure of your, mind WHICH
i know sounds, crazy but it is. True i'm not being.
Hyperbolic there's there's one last thing we should also talk,
about and that's privacy violations IN k pop and, abroad
because according to several social critics and columnists and, researchers this,
(55:27):
sexism this misogyny that these, stars female stars in, particular
but also male's, face is a symptom of a larger
problem in. Society there's one researcher that really stood. Out
Man O, lee is A k pop, columnist and specifically
talking about the problems that FEMALE k pop stars, Face
(55:50):
Mano lee says the following. QUOTE a lot Of korean
women can relate to the issues that female celebrities deal.
With they have experienced it. Themselves, many she, says feel
unsafe due to the pervasiveness OF MOLCA, lka gender based
violence and victim, shaming AND molca is. Weird it's a.
(56:12):
Portmanteau it comes from Two korean words, mole which Is
korean for, secret and, ka which is the word for,
Camera and so molca means the illegal filming of. Women
and it is a huge.
Speaker 5 (56:28):
Problem AND i mean this doesn't pass. UNNOTICED i mean
there's been widespread outrage over this spycam. Epidemic in twenty,
eighteen almost sixty eight hundred cases of hidden camera crimes
were reported in The Supreme Prosecutor's, office and in some
cases camera were actually hidden in women's public toilets and
(56:49):
also motel. Rooms others involved things like filming and sharing
videos of women that had been taken by their partners
and former. Partners it's almost like revenge porn kind of
stuff that we think of in The, states, Right, yeah.
Speaker 1 (57:04):
Exactly there's one other THING i want to, add JUST
i don't know if people have heard about. THIS i
don't know how widely this is being reported in THE,
us BUT i came across this WHEN i was doing
This Strange news daily. Show there was recently a huge
scandal related to this is based on something called the
in th room in th h and don't don't dive into.
(57:29):
It unless you have a strong. Stomach but essentially what
happened is a group of, terrible terrible dudes started, blackmailing blackmailing,
women several of whom were miners In South, korea and
forcing them to film themselves doing very dehumanizing things up
(57:51):
to and including self, harm sexual, assault and, incest and
then charging arging other people uh to like they call
them tickets to go into the messaging group, telegram go
into what they call these in th rooms and watch these. Videos.
Uh the main one of the main guys got. Caught.
(58:14):
Uh several of the other ones are still out. There
and one of the big conversations In South korea now
is about prosecuting the, people the thousands of people who
paid to watch these horrible. Things that story is. Ongoing
we don't have an, answer but that just shows us that, this,
uh This, malka this this illicit filming epidemic is. Huge
(58:38):
it's it's bigger THAN k pop and you, know not
a lot of things, are but there is so there
is just so much disturbing and dark stuff. Here this
is just scratching the, surface you, Know and and remember
we're talking about a profoundly powerful. Industry this is one
that is more than capable in many cases of protecting
(59:02):
its Own you know WHAT i, mean how much would
an UNSCRUPULOUS u mover and shaker in this industry get away?
With you could SCAPE k pop stars all? Along but
where where are the big names going? Down you know
WHAT i?
Speaker 5 (59:16):
Mean, well and they certainly haven't had their me.
Speaker 2 (59:19):
Too movement yet over, there you know WHAT i. Mean,
well it's happening right, Now, yeah it really. Is it's
beginning to, happen and the the Nth room case is
one of the big. Things there are a lot of
students that are speaking out. Now who are you, know
the train the, trainees the ones going in doing that
like ten year stint right that we were talking. About
(59:40):
there have been several groups who have stood up and, said,
hey uh we these there are allegations of sexual, abuse
allegations of physical, abuse and they're just coming forward and
trying to get support while still existing in this rigid.
Speaker 3 (59:57):
System it is a.
Speaker 1 (59:59):
Shame and you, know this is where we leave off
on today's, episode but we have to be. Fair, CURRENTLY
k pop continues to. Grow people love, it and heck they.
Should you, know it's. Catchy it's a lot of. Fun
you know the. Music if you're just listening to music
(01:00:20):
and you're a, kid you know it's stuff you can dance.
To and this is also, absolutely absolutely not to imply
THAT k pop itself is rotten to the. Core there
are hundreds of thousands of people who are working, ardently day,
in day, out and honestly to make it in this.
Industry we all know entertainment's brutal. Industry and, yes there
(01:00:42):
is a great deal of disturbing behavior under the surface
or behind the, curtain or whatever phrase you want to.
Use people in power are leveraging their authority to force
performers to commit sex, acts to force them to live
in virtual, poverty driving them to sue US i probably not,
purposely but still driving them the suicide and. More but
(01:01:05):
to that point at the like near the top of the,
show the music industry is the music industry is the music, industry.
Speaker 2 (01:01:12):
So it's the entertainment, industry, Right.
Speaker 1 (01:01:15):
So we have to warn anyone who's too quick to
Criticize South korea's. Industry lest you be quick to hop
on a high. Horse remember many many entertainment industries across
the world are in a glasshouse. Situation you know WHAT i,
mean we have to look at our, own our own music.
(01:01:37):
INDUSTRIES i, Mean god knows the stories from THE us
music industry, alone you know WHAT i. Mean there's there
aren't enough trees to make the pages we would need
to write down those. Scandals for. Instance you, know we've
even got a podcasts on our network that's dedicated entirely
to this is Called. Disgraceland do you want to tell us
(01:01:59):
a little about?
Speaker 4 (01:02:00):
It?
Speaker 5 (01:02:00):
Yeah, sure it's it's a show hosted by a really
talented writer producer Named Jake, brennan and every episode is
just about you, know musicians doing terrible things getting caught
up in, scandals largely of their own. Making so it's
it's definitely an interesting. One you've got things everything from
Uh Jerry Lee lewis murdering several of his wives and
(01:02:22):
getting away with it, too you, Know Tupac shakoor, story
uh to there's a rapper by the name Of Big
lurch who ends up involved in some light cannibalism and
and things like.
Speaker 3 (01:02:34):
That it's it's a it's a really interesting.
Speaker 5 (01:02:36):
Show and he's in the midst of season, FOUR i
believe right, Now.
Speaker 2 (01:02:40):
Hey another new show you should be checking. Out is
Called Strange News. Daily if you like this, show you're
gonna love this. One it's a it's a quick update
on what's going on In Strange. News, ben you want
to tell him about?
Speaker 1 (01:02:54):
It, yeah well until the until This house Of cards burns.
Speaker 3 (01:02:58):
Down.
Speaker 1 (01:02:59):
Uh, yeah it's a, quick i'd say five to fifteen
minute look daily update at some of the stories that
haven't made the. News, like you, know it turned out
that all The Dead sea scroll fragments in The museum
of The bible are. Fake there are. Forgeries we talked.
About updates that have happened really, quickly comes Out monday Through,
(01:03:21):
friday available wherever you find your favorite. Shows and you,
know we want to hear from you because we know
there are statistically, speaking several of our fellow listeners have
to BE k pop. Fans the industry is just that.
Huge so we want to hear from. You what are
some of your CRAZIEST k pop fan or anti fans?
(01:03:43):
Stories what's your favorite group and? Why what allegations have you?
Heard what do you think the future OF k pop?
Speaker 3 (01:03:50):
Is tell.
Speaker 1 (01:03:51):
Us you can find us On, facebook you can find
us On, instagram you can find us On.
Speaker 2 (01:03:55):
Twitter, Yes we Are Conspiracy stuff On twitter And, Facebook
Conspiracy Stuff show On. Instagram we have a phone. Number
it is one eight three three st d w y T.
K you can leave us a, message tell us what
you think about this, episode give us suggestions for, others
make us, laugh tell us something interesting about yourself or
(01:04:17):
your Aunt. Judy whatever you want to, Do we're. Interested
give us a.
Speaker 3 (01:04:22):
Call, yes give us a.
Speaker 1 (01:04:24):
Call let's know what you. Think reach out and you
know What i'm gonna, say because everybody needs these human moments.
Nowadays you, KNOW i have to have an interesting. Story
if you've got something redd it would call mildly, interesting all,
right lay it, honest.
Speaker 2 (01:04:39):
Yeah or just tell us how you're getting through this whole.
Thing you've you got any, tips or just tell us
how you're. Doing that's totally. Awesome and if you don't
want to do any of that, stuff you can always
send us a good old fashioned.
Speaker 1 (01:04:50):
Email we are conspiracy at iHeartRadio dot.
Speaker 2 (01:04:52):
Com stuff They Don't Want you To know is a
(01:05:13):
production Of. iHeartRadio for more podcasts From, iHeartRadio visit The iHeartRadio,
App Apple, podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite.
Speaker 3 (01:05:21):
Shows
Fellow conspiracy realist. It's Matt, it's been, it's stuff. They
don't want you to know you were you. This is
a classic episode about one of the most globally successful
genres of music in recent history, k pop.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Oh Baby, Look, Admittedly, I know everything I know about
K pop from what I gather while sitting at the
Korean steakhouse when I go with my son, because we
love those places and we go all the time, and
on the screens in every single one there is K pop.
(00:42):
But I don't know who these people are, what they're doing,
or why they're doing.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
You'll know BTS. You're not down with BTS.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I am aware of them, I think because they were
on SNL maybe or if they played there Albert.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yet they had something like a British invasion level pop
culture phenomenon occurring. K pop short for Korean pop music
originated in the ROK the Republic of Korea that South Korea.
It is a multi billion dollar industry. They make all
(01:15):
these pitch perfect idols and groups who come and go
their trend setters. Originally they were just trendsetters in South Korea,
but then they quickly became trendsetters and Taylor Swift level
stars in the East Asian sphere and now it's a
global thing. Everybody is at least aware of the term kpop.
(01:37):
And we thought back in twenty twenty, we thought, well,
if there's this much money involved, multi billion dollar industry,
is it all you know? Trumpets, sick dance moves, angel
farts and fun. Yeah, it's gotta be surely right, I mean,
(02:01):
surely nothing goes wrong.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
It can't sound like Destiny's Child and in sync in
these videos and songs and not be okay.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
And why do they always I don't think we get
to this in this episode, but a question I have
anytime I'm out in Korea is why is there all
there's like almost always one member of a K pop
group because they're often groups right of five to seven people,
(02:32):
there's almost always one member who's known for rapping.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, just like Lisa Lefti Lopez man I remember those times.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Toco Chase of Waterfalls. We did, and we found hidden
hands of plenty participating in the multi billion dollar success
of this industry. We were also, by the way, folks,
back in twenty twenty, we were a little bit concerned
that we might have some K pop fans coming at
(03:04):
us for this one.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Oh, come at us.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Bro Okay, we'll learn. We never we were going to
make a K pop video and choreograph dance moves.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
This whole thing we kind of did.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Check our Instagram.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Conspiracy stuff show, and while you're on the internet, please
check out the dark side of K pop. Let's roll the.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Tape from UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History
is riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now
or learn this stuff they don't want you to know.
A production of Iheartrading.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Hello, welcome back to the show. My name is Matt,
it's you.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
My name is not call me Ben. We are joined
as always with our super producer Paul. Mission control decands.
Most importantly, you are here and that makes this stuff
they don't want you to know. Gentlemen, I propose that
we skip the Twitter roll call for now. I just
want to check in with you all. How's it going
(04:19):
in our respective bunkers.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
It's going okay. I you know, family time has been great.
I have to say we're reaching the point now in
this saga, this situation where more and more of us,
at least me personally, are knowing people like a direct
(04:42):
I have a direct relationship with several people who now
have or believe to have come down with COVID nineteen,
and I would say while a lot of this downtime
being at the house has been pretty great to get
things done, to be a family and everything, it feels
like it's closing in a little more at this point.
(05:05):
That's just maybe personal feeling, but that's where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Quick question. Have the people that you suspect to have
contracted the coronavirus have they been able to obtain tests?
Because those things are pretty much unicorns in this country.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Not a single one, zero out of six.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
That's a shame. I wish them a speedy recovery.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Man.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah. The good thing is that of all the people
I know, four out of the six have fully recovered
at this point, so that's at least a very good sign.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
That's fantastic news. What about you, nol, I mean you
and I spoke earlier today. But how's it going.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
It's good. I'm okay.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
I had my daughter this weekend and then just brought
her back to her moms this morning, and we had
a nice weekend. We're kind of shuffling her back and forth.
I'm obviously continuing to work so it's easier for her mom,
who is not working, to do the home school situation.
She does have a small child as well, so she's
having to balance that, you know another my daughter's sister.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
But it's good.
Speaker 5 (06:10):
I've been doing a lot of things that I don't
normally do being home all the time. I talked about,
you know, working on music and reading and just catching
up on things and catching up with a lot of
old friends, doing some online gaming. If anybody wants to
online game, you can.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Hit me up.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
I'm all about it. I'm playing Borderlands three. I wanted
to share something really quick that I haven't told you
guys about. I had a listener reach out to me
on Instagram talking about how thanking us basically for you
know the show and continue to the show. He's a
fan of something I want you to know and also
a movie crush. And he said that he was dealing
with the coronavirus, that he actually got the virus. I
(06:49):
asked him a little bit more information, and he said
he's a patient transport person, an ambulance driver. I assume
in in Long Island. He could trace back to exactly
when he was exposed because his supervisors were able to
isolate the incident that the patient that he was transporting
and go back and kind of do process of elimination
(07:09):
so he could figure out when he was exposed. He
was exposed on like the thirteenth and didn't start experiencing
symptoms till last week, early last week, which that was
kind of interesting to me because that seems like an
awful long time.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
The good news is he's in his late twenties.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
He's you know, running a fever of about one hundred
point four and it continues, so it's not just like
it spikes and goes away. So that's you know, certainly
a thing that you can look for. And he seems
to be doing okay. He's just taking tile and all,
and he is in the hospital. I think that was
largely to do with his profession and just playing it safe,
(07:45):
and he said he's got nurses that are checking in
on him. But yeah, it was really a really nice
that he reached out to let him know that the
show was helping him sleep and just kind of keeping
him calm, and also to get a little information directly
from someone that was dealing with it. His name anonymous,
but he said it was okay to to share this.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Agreed, Yeah, and thanks for sharing that on air. So
peek behind the curtain here, conspiracy realists. Uh, we've been
doing the same thing, or at least I've been, you know,
Matt Nol and I have been. I've been sending you
guys text messages where I've been screencapping some some of
similar communications. Thank you to everybody who's been reaching out
(08:27):
to us to to thank us and even more importantly,
to encourage us to keep going even when the circumstances
are are fraught with plot twists like these are. These
are troubled days. So we're here for you. You can
find us as as a group. You can also find
us as individuals, and you can find our good pal
(08:49):
Nol on what'd you say, borderlands?
Speaker 5 (08:52):
On Borderlands, you can find me at the Cubists T
H G, C U, B I S T S if
you want to hit me up and do a little
little gaming' and uh commune connecting with some listeners and
plan plan some borderlands and just just really quick huge
thanks to this listener because you know very much on
the front lines of this. Pandemic putting himself in harm's
way and obviously is dealing with the repercussions of, that
(09:15):
but something that clearly he does not, regret and it's
very much a mission that keeps this person kind of.
Going SO i really really appreciated the information and also
just really respect you being willing to put yourself out
there and not really think of yourself instead of thinking
of others, first you, know.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yes big ups, indeed and to everybody else who's putting
their health and lives on the line to save and
protect everybody.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Else.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Yeah, yeah we've been including that, message but we simply
cannot overstate it. Enough and and, also you, know any
interest of, Privacy i've just been sending these messages To
matt And noll. Offline but if you if you are
okay with us sharing your story on, air please just
(10:01):
let us know in the, message and let us know
if you wish to remain, anonymous or if you wish
to have your name or a name attached to your.
Story there is no right or wrong answer. Here but
today's episode is not ABOUT covid ostensibly or not. Yet
today we are returning to The Korean. Peninsula this is
(10:24):
not an episode about my ongoing obsession with the Infamous
Hermit kingdom Of North, korea or our collective. Obsession, now in,
fact this in a way is a pop culture. Episode you,
see we're delving into the global phenomena collectively known as
k pop Or korean pop. Music so here are the. Facts,
(10:45):
first what is k? Pop it's what it sounds. Like
it's collective term for pop music originating In South. Korea
and it may surprise some of our fellow listeners to
learn just how recent this phenomena.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Is, yeah it's.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
TRUE i, mean TODAY'S k pop industry wouldn't exist at
all Without South korea's extensive modernization and a crucial, detail
their relaxation of, censorship particularly in the way this change
has affected the nation's ability to broadcast things on. Television
because back in the day before some of the reforms
(11:21):
took place in nineteen eighty seven that created the nation's Sixth,
republic there were only two broadcast networks in the entire,
country and they had just immense control over the kind
of Music South koreans were allowed to listen. To the
radio was also more or less under state.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Control, yeah, yeah think about all those times you've heard
people older than you maybe your parents some other loved ones,
say you, know back in my, day the television only
had like three, CHANNELS, UHF vhf, whatever and then you
just had to watch what was on channel three or
five or eleven or whatever it was in their part
(11:59):
of the. World this was the situation In South. Korea
this's not. Exaggeration and, also like you, said radio is
under a government. Control this means, that if we're being incredibly,
diplomatic we would say independent music didn't have much of a,
footprint by which we mean like. Zero these folks. Were
these folks were very much as state. Enterprise rock and
(12:21):
roll music as we think of it today or even back,
then was incredibly. Controversial it was often banned sometimes for
i would say almost xenophobic, reasons the idea that the
culture of the creed nation would be compromised by a
glut of this foreign. Music and there was a specific
(12:43):
way that musicians and songs met the. Public there were
these talent shows on. Television they aired on the, weekend
and again remember they were only like two, channels and
when the, people when performers won these talent, shows then
radio would play their. Music, finally but they would only
play the music of the people who had already you,
(13:05):
know quote unquote made it on those WEEKEND tv, Shows
so there was no like underground breakout star who went
from busking on the streets of soul to all of
a sudden blowing up on your radio. Station you.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
Know it's interesting like, jpop which is The japanese equivalent
OF k, pop obviously really didn't hit big until the nineties,
Either But japan had much more of a history of
like more diverse kind of musical, tastes especially after you,
know global conflicts and a lot Of american soldiers bringing you,
Know american music To, japan and then you, know When
(13:42):
japan kind of became this almost like had to rebuild
from the, ashes you, know of being, bombed they kind
of emerged as this like technological superpower and this very
pop culture driven. Society so that was much earlier obviously
THAN k, pop but very interesting that the boy, band
girl group kind of thing didn't really come around until the,
(14:03):
nineties around the same time that kpop was.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Happening, yeah because it's so, easy going back to our
earlier ongoing conversation for longtime, listeners it's so easy to
forget that this is kind of a new thing in
the grand scheme of. Events it seems like it's always been,
around but it's really it goes down to that nineteen
eighty Seven. Reformation that's when the soil was laid for.
(14:29):
This so after things are loosened, up after they're a
little bit less or wellyan with, censorship radio blows. Up
radio is everywhere af OR i should SAY. Amfm South
korean residents would hear new music that they had never heard.
Before they'd hear it on a regular. Basis it's, like
just for a, second every radio station became eighty eight
(14:51):
point five or ninety one point. One those are two,
great great local stations here In. Atlanta it's like everything
turned to college radio terms of the variety you would,
see and this included music from The, yankees music from
The United. States so people were digging it and they were, like,
hey this isn't that. Bad but radio is only part
of the, story, Right.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah don't forget those talent shows that those come back
in a big and important way for new acts and
new types of. MUSIC i, MEAN tv is really the
gold standard that it had been In South, korea and
it continued to be that way more than ninety nine
percent of the homes In South korea had access to
national television networks as early as nineteen ninety, two so
(15:35):
that's not long after the change over, there and.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Then people WATCHING.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Tv it was the, most it was the most viewership
that had ever existed Within South, korea especially on the,
weekends and that's when those talent shows, happen and that
is where you get all these new acts being introduced
to everybody In South korea all at.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Once yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. Yeah and THESE tv shows
still even now remain in the modern day one of
the biggest single factors in the success of Any South korean.
Band it's funny because you, KNOW i know that all of,
us all four of Us Mission, Control Matt noll and,
(16:19):
myself we're fans of music, history both from a sociocultural
perspective and just from the experience of music we. Like
so we all know that when you look at a
genre or a shift in, music you tend to look
more at a, gradient. RIGHT a lot of genres kind
(16:39):
of blend and slowly evolve into something new or. Different
but unlike many musical, genres k pop appears to have
a definitive starting. Point It's april, eleventh nineteen ninety. Two
there's a great account of this by research Named Hannah.
Waite she studies the history OF k pop and she
(17:04):
says that a group Named Coo taji pardon me If
i'm Mispronouncing cootaji And.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Boys.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
They are The they are the watershed moment OF k.
Pop So cootaji is the frontman of. This these a
couple of different. Bands, first he was in a heavy
metal band Called senowe Or, sinawa and they broke. Up
he got into hip. Hop he teamed up with two.
Dancers they performed a single called Nan aarreo OR I
(17:33):
know on one of these weekend talent shows you were
talking About matt And. Boom just like. That when they
perform On april, eleventh nineteen ninety, two k pop is.
Born this may make you think That Coo taji and
The boys actually won the, competition but, no, man they came.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Out on the.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Bottom they got the low score on anybody on the
show that. Day but it doesn't. Matter it was it's it's,
Like i'm trying to imagine what it's. Like i'm gonna
take it to my four year old. Son so he
had never tried uh broccoli, before and then one day
he tried it and he didn't like it at.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
All he's, like, ugh that is.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Gross but now he knows what broccoli, is and when
we talk about, broccoli he thinks about it and he'll
take a. Taste he's, like, hmm it's. Okay and now
broccoli is one of his favorite things that he can.
Eat i'm telling, you that's all that they. Needed they
need to just get that broccoli ON tv for a.
Speaker 5 (18:30):
Second it reminds me of like That do You want To?
Be A vj competition where that like super, skinny weird
looking stoner Guy jesse won first, place and the guy
that won runner up ended up ultimately becoming a pretty
big television, sensation like you had much more of a you,
know long lasting career IN, tv Whereas jesse kind of
burned out pretty. QUICKLY i mean he already seemed like
(18:52):
a bit of a. Burnout he had like some some
issues with drugs and alcohol and like you, know being
on the lamb ABOUT i don't, know it was a whole.
Thing but that guy what was Those dave's last? Name
he was The he lost the, competition but he ultimately.
Became he came out on, Top Dave. Coolier it Wasn't,
coolier it Wasn't, mustaine it Wasn't, navarro it was you,
(19:12):
know The, dave The.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Dave if you're if you're, Talking dave's on, Top i'm
always thinking Of Dave. KOLIER i, mean that's that's that's
the gold standard To dave's.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Right welcome TO Mtv. News this Is Dave.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Holmes.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Dave, yes.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
That's exactly. Right he's an Acceptable dave. SUBSTITUTE i, agree MAN.
Vj that was a dream. Job huh.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
So but the the whole point there is that the
the Whole South korean culture got introduced to THIS k
pop thing all of a, sudden all at, once and
they all saw it and they, went, huh that's the.
Thing it's not our, favorite but that's the.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Thing.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Yeah, Yeah well here's what. Happens so there's an interesting
role here in you, know there's something to be said
about the possibility of cultural. Policing you, know like like In,
france there is an official linguistic institute that monitors how
new words are entering The french, language and they're fighting
(20:09):
to quote unquote preserve. It you have to ask yourself
whether the judges on this talent show we're Playing ceo
and The boys to the left because they were too culturally.
Different one thing's for, sure the rest of the nation
does not agree with the. Judges this, SONG I know
(20:31):
goes on to dominate the singles charts Of South korea
for like seventeen, weeks and then for fifteen years after
that it. Remained it held the record for the number
one longest streak in the country's, history or the longest
time at number.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
One, yeah and this was not just like a. Band
this was like the beginnings of an institution and big.
Business recognize that recording studios record labels actually stepped in
to take over and formed a new studio.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
System let's take it out of.
Speaker 5 (21:04):
Staw when we say studio, system we think of LIKE Mgm,
universal you, know like the big movie. Studios this is
that kind of money and that kind of. Opportunity they
created this from, scratch out of the ashes of the
broadcast centered.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
System. Right, so then between ninety.
Speaker 5 (21:21):
Five and ninety eight you had three mega powerhouse music studios.
Appearing you HAD Sm entertainment often just referred to AS Sm.
Town and that was in ninety, five and then we
HAVE Jyp entertainment in ninety seven AND Yg entertainment in ninety,
eight created by one of the members OF cotyg And.
Boys and then we've Got, yeah that Was Young Joan.
(21:43):
Souk and so together these studios began to cultivate and,
headhunt essentially recruit what would become known as idol. Groups
and you, know we know this in The states in
terms of like The Backstreet, boys and as far back
as The New kids on The, block and you, know
more recently With One direction and these kind of super,
(22:03):
groups even as far back as The, monkeys you, know
bands that were built from the ground up by executives
for the purposes of eliciting a certain. Response it wasn't
like they were just doing it in their parents'. Garage
these were created as a business.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Ploy can't can we pause here really quickly just to
talk about how big this business has, become because we're
talking about the first big, three, RIGHT Sm, ENTERTAINMENT Gip,
entertainment AND Yg.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Entertainment so these.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Are the big. Ones it's the mid nineties to late
nineties when these are. Created if you look now at
lists anywhere of the BIGGEST k pop groups that are out,
there and there are so many groups that exist almost
this isn't all of the music labels that are controlling
all of. Them BUT jyp is still up, THERE sm
(22:53):
is still up, THERE yg is still up. There now
you've Got Big Hit, ENTERTAINMENT Kq, ENTERTAINMENT Qube, ENTERTAINMENT Fnc,
entertainment and there are probably a dozen more that CONTROL
i don't even know how many hundreds.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Groups it's.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Crazy here's the, thing a lot of those younger studios
are kind of a revolving door like we see with
government and private industry in The United, states because a
lot of their creators were formerly members OF k pop
groups are somehow affiliated with the industry and struck out
on their. OWN i do want to point out, also
when we say idol, group we mean. Idol these folks
(23:32):
are anything but idl. E they're actually living a, very
very difficult. Life so, yeah the first idol group comes
on comes on the global. Stage in nineteen ninety. Six
the founder OF, sm a guy Named Lee, suman creates
this group Called Hot, hot and he does it by
(23:53):
getting five singers and dancers who in his mind represent
what he thinks teams want to see from a pop.
Group so you, KNOW i love that monkey's reference because
it's just like somebody who's who's kind of aged out
of that scene. Going you know what the young folks,
like you, know they like they like a little. Gyrate
they like a gyrate with a, hip AND i like
(24:15):
a little uh you, KNOW i like a little.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Harmony this is what the kids are bopping too these.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Days, well they like these beatles and we need to
make more of.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Those we'll just call them The.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
Monkeys but what's funny about The monkeys is they started
off that way and then they made some pretty cool
records and a really psychedelic film called A head that
you guys should check out if you haven't seen.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
It, like they actually went on to be pretty interesting
in their own. Right.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Uh but, yeah that was that was a thing that
took the world by. STORM i have a, question like
maybe we're gonna get to, this.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
BUT i just want to SAY i Love red Rubber.
Ball everyone should listen to it when you get a.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Chance that's a GOOD i.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Think so it's a good vocal warm, up, though isn't.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
It that's hard to.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
SAY i really thought that was an hot.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Song what is h O T well what what what's your? Question?
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Oh, OH i mean they're called idol.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
Bands that's obviously where The American american idol came. From
it was emulating the system of talent shows that was
so huge that created this, industry.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah one hundred percent. Agreed and
that means that we can also trace the evolution of
all the other kind of shows Like America's Got, talent,
uh and you, know whatever their derivatives, are we can
we can trace all of that to this. Genre so
now we have now we have the emergence of the idol,
group the emergence of these these, huge these Like leviathan sized,
(25:35):
businesses and it's off to the. Races, nowadays the global
invasion OF k pop is part of a larger cultural
invasion CALLED hollyu or The Korean. Wave But, MATT i
really like something you pointed. Out how big of a
business are we? Talking we'll explore that briefly after a
word from our. Sponsor, okay we're. Back how big of a? Business,
(26:05):
well it's, global that's for. Sure that's an understatement of
the stuff they don't want you to know, history because
today the popularity OF k pop not JUST, hollyu but
SPECIFICALLY k pop reaches, far, far far beyond The South korean.
Borders there was a survey conducted in twenty nineteen where
they asked a ton of people in seventeen different, countries you,
(26:28):
know what's the word ON k pop in your neck
of the global, Woods and thirty seven point five percent
of everybody responding in all seventeen countries said THAT k
pop was super popular in their. Country and think about, that,
cause you, know not everybody in those seventeen different countries
Speaks korean rite or Reads. Korean the fans are almost
(26:53):
their own. Episode the fans OF k pop are. Rabid
they are fanatically loyal across the, planet and there are
even some what are called anti. Fans have you guys
heard about? This the anti fans who for one reason
or another specifically zone in and hate A k pop
(27:14):
band or a, performer sometimes because they feel like that
person is has done something wrong to A k pop
performer that they. Like it's very weird like, this this
is a graphic, thing but the level of stalking here
has entered like fatal attraction cape fear degrees of. Extremes
(27:39):
not to be too, crass but fans have in the
past sent letters proclaiming they're undying love to again people
they've never. Met but these letters have been written in,
blood particularly menstrual, blood at least a few. Cases, yeah, yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Well they'll even go so far as to set up
cameras And mike's in the hotel rooms of traveling musicians
as these bands as they're going, around they'll like show
up early and basically bug the rooms before the band gets,
there and then versus record them and put.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
Videos NOW i THINK i may have mentioned this to, You,
ben but WHEN i got back from a trip not
too long, ago in the in the gate at The
Atlanta Heartsfield Jackson, airport there was a group of what
appeared to Be japanese Or korean school aged, girls and
they were wearing you, know the traditional kind of school,
(28:42):
garb like the you, know a skirt and kind of
like a uniform. Top and they were all wearing, masks
SO i couldn't quite tell what their nationality, was AND
i was also From, afar but they all had these
very pricey looking telephoto lenses and we're all just snavity
snapping it up at these four dudes hanging out in
the corner looking on their. Phones, Uh AND i believe
(29:06):
they had to have either Been jay OR k pop.
Dudes But i'm, like how are these these young ladies
happened to be traveling with? Them or what's the? Deal,
like like are they following them around the? Country like it's?
Speaker 3 (29:19):
That is that a? Thing like what's?
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Up? Oh, yeah, YEAH i Found uh the communication network
for fan groups is. Extensive they could probably teach intelligence
agencies a few things to be. Canted they, had Like
i'll never. Forget. UH i was spending some time In
koreatown In tokyo and we saw something kind of the same,
(29:41):
thing just sitting getting like A macha tea or some
or whatever kind of coffee house, confection and then all
of a, sudden there was this mob of people, with
as you, said very expensive professional grade telephoto lenses and
they were they were just they were waiting for these
people who literally just sort of like walked by. Nonchalantly
(30:05):
maybe one guy. Posed and it was nuts to see
that up. Close it was almost like it was almost
like how whale hunters or whale watchers must feel when
they're out in the boat and all of a, sudden
they see this enormous thing rising from the. Depths it's a, huge,
huge huge. Industry and you, know just to give some
(30:27):
numbers about how big this, is we were talking about this off.
Air the true financial, numbers especially for those big three,
studios are a little, squirrely at least in my. OPINION
i honestly think they're being. Underreported but you can find some.
(30:49):
Estimates but as we're going to, learn those estimates leave
something to be. Desired we can talk about some specific
global milestones THAT k pop has. Reached you will call
the first YouTube video to reach one billion. Views everybody
remember what that one, Was Zi gangham. Style it was
(31:09):
the very same By, si who's interesting because he's not
like your TYPICAL k pop person in. Appearance but, yeah
he reached the billion, views and as we, record the
numbers continue to climb for just that one.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
Video, well first of, all that must have had something
to do with the fact that was one of the
first ones to really hit big In.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
AMERICA i think.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
So, YEAH i, agree because.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
It was huge In america and it was mainly because
it was just. Funny it was a, really really funny.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
Video it was really brilliantly, produced with all the dance
moves and like all the crazy, pyrotechnics but it had
this tongue in cheekness to it THAT i think really
just hit at the time where like absurdist comedy was really,
big Like tim And eric and things like. That SO
i think that fascination with some of these you, know
culture phenomenons and being able to kind of glom onto
(32:02):
the sort of absurdity of it all really made it
go over the. Top because that was the first EVER
k pop thing THAT i was ever.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Really intimately familiar, with AND.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
I don't know that there's ever been another one since
then THAT i was as familiar.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
With well, here, YEAH i would, Agree but let's imagine really,
quickly how much is that? Worth a billion views on? That?
Now just from our experience on, YouTube you you, know
that's that's probably a fairly that's a nice chunk of,
money but you, know it's YouTube. Money it's you, know it's,
(32:39):
okay but that's not going to make anybody a millionaire.
Necessarily even if you did that a bunch of, times
you might get there. Eventually and then think about album sales,
now and let's say twenty twenty and even the twenty,
tens album sales aren't what they used to be because
streaming became such a, thing and you have to imagine
(33:03):
how much money is actually being generated by A si
or by the BIGGEST k pop band out there right?
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Now, ah interesting you say. THAT i would like to
Quote spaceballs or any number Of Danny, DeVito Frank reynolds
subplots and Always sunny In. Philadelphia it's, merchandising you.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Know WHAT i.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Mean that's where a lot of the money is. Likely
that's a great, Point. Matt let's talk, turkey believe it or.
Not as of twenty, nineteen a SINGLE k pop band
and let's, see fellow, listeners fully conspiracy, Realists let's see
if you can guess who it is while you're listening
along at, HOME a SINGLE k pop band is worth
an estimated four point six five billion DOLLARS. Us, wow
(33:48):
can you? GUESS i bet you guys already.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
KNOW i think it's probably.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
What is?
Speaker 2 (33:56):
IT xo close it?
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Is it is what appears to be a short grouping
Of english. Letters IT'S, bts the the elephant in the
room OF k pop whenever we talk about. IT bts
was also the FIRST k pop group to reach number
one on The billboard. Charts they also still hold the
(34:21):
record for the best selling album in all Of South
korean history from like since the first album came out
In South korea.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Ever wow, Wow you, KNOW i only learned about them
when they went On Saturday Night. Live but they were
pretty great. Performers that's ALL i really know about.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Them they're a little bit. DIFFERENT k pop fans have
assured me because in a lot of in a lot of,
performances you might hear that some kpop bands are lip
syncing their, songs BUT bts is famous for always actually
singing the. Songs and you know, what even if you're
not a you gotta respect the. Hustle you got to
respect those dance. Moves those guys have it on. Lock
(35:06):
they're on point. Now they also performed live in front
of a million people in person In Times square In
december twenty, nineteen ringing in The New, year and one
billion other people tuned in via. Television those numbers are.
Insane we could dedicate an entire podcast, series not just the,
(35:28):
show a series to k pop, alone and doubtlessly many
other podcasts, Have but we just wanted to articulate the broad.
Strokes we wanted to give you the lay of the.
LAND k pop is, successful it's, huge it is a
global economic force all its. Own but we would be
remiss if we didn't have just like a little fun with.
(35:49):
This so we've Named we've NAMED, Xo we've NAMED, ci
we've NAMED, bts and we've named the you, know the
group that made the FIRST k pop appearance back there In.
April but let's, See, matt you found you found some
other names that you wanted to share with.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Us huh, yeah let's do. THIS i just looked up
a couple lists of what would be considered the top
selling or most POPULAR k pop groups that are out
there right now as OF i think seven days. Ago uh,
so here here's Some Black Pink got, Seven Stray kids
(36:29):
twice t Xt Red VELVET nct one twenty seven, Seventeen
Mama MoU icon with a k monst X AT's super
M Astro giddle or is it G.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
IDYL i think it's G.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Idyl i'm Not i'm not the authority there.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
Anyway there's A Ton Pentagon day SIX x one ONE
us ONE US A PINK xp. Edition there's just so.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
Many, yeah there's so, many and you picked some great.
ONES i am sorry to inform all our fellow listeners
That Stray kids And twice are two different. Bands for some,
REASON i love the idea of a band that's just
Named Stray Kids twice.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
Me.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Too they're just So they're so. WONDERFUL i love all those.
Names it's so much. Fun it just feels like screen
names to, me weird.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
Screens remember when everything used to be surrounded by like,
x's like lowercase LOWERCASE x than the UPPERCASE.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
X it wasn't a straight edge thing for a.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
While it was in some. Circles, yeah like people would you,
know people would draw x's or even tattoo x's on their.
Flesh this this is interesting because these, bands we have
to emphasize it's not just about the. Music there's the,
fashion there's the, tone there's a of, course the. Merchandising
(37:57):
but this is not all that kpop, is and it's
tragic and it's unfortunate that we have to say. That
it's the point of our episode today BECAUSE k pop
is not all cutting edge, fashion smiling teens and scads
of money minted from catchy love songs that are written to.
Algorithm k, pop you, see has a dark, side and
(38:19):
we're diving in after a word from our. Sponsor here's
where it gets.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Crazy, yeah it turns out there's a very dark side
to this. Business and in a lot of, ways what
we're going to be talking about ahead reflects some of
the issues that we've talked about before in the music
industry just, globally as well as entertainment industries across the,
world especially In hollywood and in The United. States but
(38:55):
it's very own brand of dark. Side just a word
of warning coming. Up this will make some of you.
Uncomfortable we're going to be talking about allegations of, abuse
sexual and. Otherwise just a word of, warning let's talk about.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
It, yeah. Yep for the past several, years, decades, REALLY
k pop has encountered a number of scandals and then
a greater number of suppressed or hush hush scandals that
give lie to the squeaky clean image the bands and
their management work so hard to project to the outside.
(39:34):
World here are just a few we wanted to want
to isolate some broad categories of. Issues the first, okay
so we mentioned one band. ALONE bts is a multi
billion dollar industry by. Itself that's a very extreme, example
but there's there's no arguing that a lot of these
bands make a ton of. Money and that's our first.
(39:57):
Question that's our first. Issue who act actually gets that?
Revenue who gets the? Money the answer might surprise.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
You, yeah it's.
Speaker 5 (40:05):
True and you, know we're gonna see some parallels with
this and the way artists are treated in The states,
too but this is a much.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
More egregious version of.
Speaker 5 (40:12):
This performers sign contracts that can last as long as fifteen.
Years that's. Insane we definitely don't see in terms of
that length in The United.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
States and just to give you an idea of, that
the terms are somewhere between seven and fifteen, years the
ones that at Least i've come. Across and when you're
talking about a talent contract or something like, that, Terms,
yeah As nola is, saying that's an exorbitant amount of.
Time terms are usually in the year to you, know
(40:41):
a couple of, years five years maybe, maximum but that's a.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
Lot, yeah that's essentially like signing away your adolescence to a.
Company and you, know and that goes along with the
profit ratios as. Well we're looking at eighty percent seeded
to the, company twenty to the, artists or ninety percent
of the company and ten percent to the. Artists so
it's like a almost like a form of indentured.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Servitude, absolutely and keep in mind that if you are
in a, group that figure is even worse for you
because that ten or twenty percent is typically going to
be split between you and all your band. Members, this
this is this is important because those seven to fifteen
year contracts aren't just like put out x amount of,
(41:31):
albums do live, shows is requested in, appearances they're they're
things like morality, clauses incredibly strict rules on your public,
interaction even your your private, interaction and this does function
at its worst as indentured. Servitude they've actually been called
slave contracts because it's meant to keep the performers entirely
(41:56):
dependent on their label. Owners because the way the way
that these groups are created is very, competitive and people
training in groups for just a chance to be in
A k pop. Outfit so you, know as an individual
performer in many cases that if you don't toe the,
line there are hundreds of people right behind you who
(42:19):
will jump at an even worse deal and.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Just to really expand on that for a. Second and
a lot of the reporting about, this AND i don't
know the full reality of, it but certainly from the,
reporting the training that occurs just to essentially be auditioned
at some point or to be like a stand in
to get into one of these groups if a member
leaves or. Something you are training for literally ten years
(42:45):
before you become a member of one of these major.
Groups if you're going through some of the big you,
know the big schools essentially the k pop schools that
exist out, there.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Well the wait that means they're starting you off when
you're very very, young RIGHT a lot of times other
times the ages range pretty extensively.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
There BUT i would, say, yes starting out young and
going through the system to then hopefully one day get
one of those. Contracts and when you get into a.
GROUP i don't know if you've noticed, this but the
k pop groups range from two people to generally about
five to seven people and go up to in the dozen,
dozen like literally a dozen.
Speaker 3 (43:26):
People in one.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Group and we're talking about splitting that, money you, know
twenty percent to maybe ten. Percent that's so, Intense, Ben.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
Yeah and it depends on what the you, know is
that ten or twenty percent that stated on, paper is
that the actual percentage of the hall h color me
skeptical or colored me. Cenical but here's another thing about
that age range. Question, yes starting early is advantageous because
there is one big difference between this type of music
(43:56):
industry and the pop industry here in The United. States
there are many, differences but here's what a lot of
people don't think. About these groups often have kind of
hardwired expiration dates or breakup. Dates because The republic Of,
Korea South korea has mandatory military. Service that means that
you are already on a ticking clock leading up to
(44:19):
the time in which you must, enlist and that means
that you have a very limited window of time to
make it. Big and you also don't have a huge
opportunity to fight back against this system if you if
you want, to you, know get better representation or make
(44:40):
things better for. Performers, overall you're it's brilliant in the
way that it has been. Calculated but, unfortunately like that's,
bad that's. Terrible but you, know we can't cast too
much dispersion because that's the music industry across the. World
the world Over there's another which is unfortunately shared with
(45:01):
many other countries music, industries and that is sexual. Abuse
sexual abuse in a couple of different. Ways one of
the most famous examples is something called The Burning sun.
Scandal this happened about a year ago this. Month there
were several MALE k pop, stars including a guy Named
(45:23):
sungri and again we don't speak kreat here's what you
need to know about. Him he was a member of
a boy band Named Big, bang and he and one
of his, Associates he and a couple of his, associates
a former member of a group called Ft, island and
a singer and songwriter Called Jung Jun, yung were implicated
(45:43):
in a spycam sexual abuse. Scandal the songwriter was sharing
videos of women filmed without their consents in a group.
Chat and when we say without their, consent this isn't you,
know this is all, Terrible but it's not like they.
Were they weren't just filming people naked or exposed without their.
(46:09):
Consent they were filming gang sexual assault on women who
had been, drugged women who had been plied with drink
and were unconscious or. Unresponsive this is demonic. Stuff and then,
yeah and then it turns out it's Called Burning sun
scandal Because sungri had ties to a nightclub Called Burning,
(46:32):
sun and that's where a lot of this sexual assault took.
Place the three men involved got five and six year prison.
Sentences but the controversy there, is first, off is that
a fair, sentence you, know were the was there a
massive popularity somehow swaying the public toward giving them a lighter,
(46:56):
Sentence and that that leads us to something else, too
which is that they're they're proving cases WHERE k pop
stars have been more or less forced to sleep with
powerful people in the, industry either to advance their own,
career they're sleeping with someone in a position of, power
(47:19):
or a person in position of power tells them to
go sleep with someone else and they're sent. Out is
this this has forced sex work and it. Happens it's. Happening.
Speaker 2 (47:30):
Yeah according TO Bbc, news this is an issue that
runs pretty rampant within the. Industry where are the where
there are these clubs Like Burning sun that exist all
over the, place where THE k pop stars will go
to to make appearances in those kinds of, things and
then because of those, contracts there's this pressure that's felt
(47:51):
to just go and do whatever you are told to,
do and oftentimes it is exactly what been.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
Described, again THAT'S Bbc.
Speaker 2 (48:00):
News that's not you, know some other reporting agency that
you know is fairly unknown making. Allegations this IS Bbc
news actually doing some some digging into this.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
And this this tragic, situation combined with the terrible issues
with the contracts and the financial, uh the opportunity for financial,
corruption those two alone would be enough to be a horrific.
Episode but it doesn't stop. There there's something there are
(48:33):
a couple of other things we need to talk.
Speaker 5 (48:35):
About, YEAH i, mean think about what it must feel
like to be kind of bred almost to be this
squeaky clean image not only that you, know of pop
music and of, like you, know good, times but very
very g rated kind of uh and also sort of
an ambassador for your. Country there were some, folks men
(48:59):
and women alive who have just buckled under the strain
of these brutal, schedules rehearsal regiments and just the. Expectation
we've got a story About Kim jong, hun who's twenty,
seven who was a member Of. Shini he took his
own life in twenty seventeen after talking about how intense
(49:21):
this pressure. Was and of, course you, know you think
of people having extreme success and everything being easy, street
but think about the pressure and anxiety of losing, everything
And i'm sure this is something that we've seen is
wielded by some of those, handlers, Right and then we've
got another one In october of twenty.
Speaker 2 (49:41):
Nineteen, yes this In october twenty, Nineteen suley twenty five year.
Old she's a former member of the girl group F.
Speaker 3 (49:50):
X she also took her own.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
Life and then just a month, later woman Named, kuhara
who was in a group Called kara and then she
was also a solo, performer she took her own life
and she actually was a close friend Of. Sulee so
the two of them in two months twenty five and
(50:13):
twenty eight both took their.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
Lives, tragedy, tragedy and they're they're not the only examples
you can, see you, know to your, point now you
can see how unsustainable and demanding it could be to
to literally have this contract that says you have to be.
Perfect you, know you can't do a lot of the
things that normal kids do when they're, teenagers are in their,
(50:37):
twenties you, know like, dating maybe having a long term,
relationship maybe even pursuing. Kids you have to be this
twenty four to seven, advertisement you, know and that's just
not how people are built to live.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
Well and if you're a, female you also have to
essentially starve, yourself especially in this, system because there's a
there's reporting on, this and it's just to keep that ideal.
Image it's not you, know not only the ideal image
outwardly as far as your, actions it's what you look.
Like and there's also a massive problem with plastic surgery
(51:14):
where young people are getting plastic surgery to look a
very specific way.
Speaker 3 (51:20):
To meet these.
Speaker 2 (51:21):
Standards and there are several, alleged let's, say cases where
that plastic surgery was not the choice of the, individual
it was the choice of the you, know the controlling
members of that the, group the company.
Speaker 1 (51:37):
Essentially, oh AND i want to point out one thing
that many of us might not know is That South
korea actually has the highest rate of plastic surgery per
capita in the, world and the most popular surgeries are
things like skin, whitening those jobs and double it's called
(51:59):
double eyelid. Surgery that's where you're change the state of
your epicanthic, fold and it's all to make these people
more closely resemble this kind of idealized physical, image you
know WHAT i, mean even if it's.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
Unrealistic And, BEN i wanted to bring this up because
we're touching on it, Here, noel you're talking about kind
of that g rated lifestyle or you, know that state
of perfection where you can't be seen to be doing
anything wrong in, public, right and yet the both males
but especially females IN k pop are overtly, sexualized like
(52:41):
so overtly.
Speaker 3 (52:42):
Sexualized and that's.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
Not completely across the, board BUT i would estimate ninety
percent of the groups are overly, sexualized both in you,
know clothing that's being worn and in choreography especially and
the way that they are seen by the, camera you,
know the gaze of the. Camera so there's this kind
(53:05):
OF i don't know what you call, it this balancing
act there between these perfect g rated. People but then
also like the way they're.
Speaker 5 (53:13):
Portrayed you're absolutely right now you see WHAT i was
getting at, though, Right like it's almost like there's this
squeaky clean, image like the sexualization is almost, innuendo you
know WHAT i. Mean like you would never actually think
of them having sex or being sexual beings who are in.
Control they're just. Objects they're sort of like anime characters
(53:33):
or something like that that are kind of trotted out
and there's no humanity to, them you, know that's the
way they're.
Speaker 3 (53:37):
Portrayed kind. Of, YEAH i guess.
Speaker 2 (53:40):
SO i think it's just it reminds me of somebody
Like Britney spears that had that similar. Thing like if
you remember when she was first becoming, popular and she's
portrayed as this schoolgirl in this very innocent way and
yet hyper.
Speaker 3 (53:58):
Sexualized it's just.
Speaker 2 (54:02):
It's just we you, know we're talking about all these issues,
here and you can just almost feel how the portrayal on.
CAMERA i think a lot of times ends up being
one of these major issues where there's a disconnect between
what's being seen by the end user somebody at their,
house you, know watching one of these. Videos there's such
(54:26):
a disconnect between that image that's being seen and then
the actual human being that is attempting to function within this.
Speaker 3 (54:32):
System, absolutely NOW i completely agree with.
Speaker 1 (54:35):
You, yeah, yeah, SAME i think we're all in agreement. Here,
one you, know one terrifying aspect of this we have
to point out is you don't see this talked about as,
much but our neurological research proves that a person in
this age, range oftentimes their brain is still. Developing so
(54:59):
being in this kind of situation can have lasting effects
on you, know on the structure of your, mind WHICH
i know sounds, crazy but it is. True i'm not being.
Hyperbolic there's there's one last thing we should also talk,
about and that's privacy violations IN k pop and, abroad
because according to several social critics and columnists and, researchers this,
(55:27):
sexism this misogyny that these, stars female stars in, particular
but also male's, face is a symptom of a larger
problem in. Society there's one researcher that really stood. Out
Man O, lee is A k pop, columnist and specifically
talking about the problems that FEMALE k pop stars, Face
(55:50):
Mano lee says the following. QUOTE a lot Of korean
women can relate to the issues that female celebrities deal.
With they have experienced it. Themselves, many she, says feel
unsafe due to the pervasiveness OF MOLCA, lka gender based
violence and victim, shaming AND molca is. Weird it's a.
(56:12):
Portmanteau it comes from Two korean words, mole which Is
korean for, secret and, ka which is the word for,
Camera and so molca means the illegal filming of. Women
and it is a huge.
Speaker 5 (56:28):
Problem AND i mean this doesn't pass. UNNOTICED i mean
there's been widespread outrage over this spycam. Epidemic in twenty,
eighteen almost sixty eight hundred cases of hidden camera crimes
were reported in The Supreme Prosecutor's, office and in some
cases camera were actually hidden in women's public toilets and
(56:49):
also motel. Rooms others involved things like filming and sharing
videos of women that had been taken by their partners
and former. Partners it's almost like revenge porn kind of
stuff that we think of in The, states, Right, yeah.
Speaker 1 (57:04):
Exactly there's one other THING i want to, add JUST
i don't know if people have heard about. THIS i
don't know how widely this is being reported in THE,
us BUT i came across this WHEN i was doing
This Strange news daily. Show there was recently a huge
scandal related to this is based on something called the
in th room in th h and don't don't dive into.
(57:29):
It unless you have a strong. Stomach but essentially what
happened is a group of, terrible terrible dudes started, blackmailing blackmailing,
women several of whom were miners In South, korea and
forcing them to film themselves doing very dehumanizing things up
(57:51):
to and including self, harm sexual, assault and, incest and
then charging arging other people uh to like they call
them tickets to go into the messaging group, telegram go
into what they call these in th rooms and watch these. Videos.
Uh the main one of the main guys got. Caught.
(58:14):
Uh several of the other ones are still out. There
and one of the big conversations In South korea now
is about prosecuting the, people the thousands of people who
paid to watch these horrible. Things that story is. Ongoing
we don't have an, answer but that just shows us that, this,
uh This, malka this this illicit filming epidemic is. Huge
(58:38):
it's it's bigger THAN k pop and you, know not
a lot of things, are but there is so there
is just so much disturbing and dark stuff. Here this
is just scratching the, surface you, Know and and remember
we're talking about a profoundly powerful. Industry this is one
that is more than capable in many cases of protecting
(59:02):
its Own you know WHAT i, mean how much would
an UNSCRUPULOUS u mover and shaker in this industry get away?
With you could SCAPE k pop stars all? Along but
where where are the big names going? Down you know
WHAT i?
Speaker 5 (59:16):
Mean, well and they certainly haven't had their me.
Speaker 2 (59:19):
Too movement yet over, there you know WHAT i. Mean,
well it's happening right, Now, yeah it really. Is it's
beginning to, happen and the the Nth room case is
one of the big. Things there are a lot of
students that are speaking out. Now who are you, know
the train the, trainees the ones going in doing that
like ten year stint right that we were talking. About
(59:40):
there have been several groups who have stood up and, said,
hey uh we these there are allegations of sexual, abuse
allegations of physical, abuse and they're just coming forward and
trying to get support while still existing in this rigid.
Speaker 3 (59:57):
System it is a.
Speaker 1 (59:59):
Shame and you, know this is where we leave off
on today's, episode but we have to be. Fair, CURRENTLY
k pop continues to. Grow people love, it and heck they.
Should you, know it's. Catchy it's a lot of. Fun
you know the. Music if you're just listening to music
(01:00:20):
and you're a, kid you know it's stuff you can dance.
To and this is also, absolutely absolutely not to imply
THAT k pop itself is rotten to the. Core there
are hundreds of thousands of people who are working, ardently day,
in day, out and honestly to make it in this.
Industry we all know entertainment's brutal. Industry and, yes there
(01:00:42):
is a great deal of disturbing behavior under the surface
or behind the, curtain or whatever phrase you want to.
Use people in power are leveraging their authority to force
performers to commit sex, acts to force them to live
in virtual, poverty driving them to sue US i probably not,
purposely but still driving them the suicide and. More but
(01:01:05):
to that point at the like near the top of the,
show the music industry is the music industry is the music, industry.
Speaker 2 (01:01:12):
So it's the entertainment, industry, Right.
Speaker 1 (01:01:15):
So we have to warn anyone who's too quick to
Criticize South korea's. Industry lest you be quick to hop
on a high. Horse remember many many entertainment industries across
the world are in a glasshouse. Situation you know WHAT i,
mean we have to look at our, own our own music.
(01:01:37):
INDUSTRIES i, Mean god knows the stories from THE us
music industry, alone you know WHAT i. Mean there's there
aren't enough trees to make the pages we would need
to write down those. Scandals for. Instance you, know we've
even got a podcasts on our network that's dedicated entirely
to this is Called. Disgraceland do you want to tell us
(01:01:59):
a little about?
Speaker 4 (01:02:00):
It?
Speaker 5 (01:02:00):
Yeah, sure it's it's a show hosted by a really
talented writer producer Named Jake, brennan and every episode is
just about you, know musicians doing terrible things getting caught
up in, scandals largely of their own. Making so it's
it's definitely an interesting. One you've got things everything from
Uh Jerry Lee lewis murdering several of his wives and
(01:02:22):
getting away with it, too you, Know Tupac shakoor, story
uh to there's a rapper by the name Of Big
lurch who ends up involved in some light cannibalism and
and things like.
Speaker 3 (01:02:34):
That it's it's a it's a really interesting.
Speaker 5 (01:02:36):
Show and he's in the midst of season, FOUR i
believe right, Now.
Speaker 2 (01:02:40):
Hey another new show you should be checking. Out is
Called Strange News. Daily if you like this, show you're
gonna love this. One it's a it's a quick update
on what's going on In Strange. News, ben you want
to tell him about?
Speaker 1 (01:02:54):
It, yeah well until the until This house Of cards burns.
Speaker 3 (01:02:58):
Down.
Speaker 1 (01:02:59):
Uh, yeah it's a, quick i'd say five to fifteen
minute look daily update at some of the stories that
haven't made the. News, like you, know it turned out
that all The Dead sea scroll fragments in The museum
of The bible are. Fake there are. Forgeries we talked.
About updates that have happened really, quickly comes Out monday Through,
(01:03:21):
friday available wherever you find your favorite. Shows and you,
know we want to hear from you because we know
there are statistically, speaking several of our fellow listeners have
to BE k pop. Fans the industry is just that.
Huge so we want to hear from. You what are
some of your CRAZIEST k pop fan or anti fans?
(01:03:43):
Stories what's your favorite group and? Why what allegations have you?
Heard what do you think the future OF k pop?
Speaker 3 (01:03:50):
Is tell.
Speaker 1 (01:03:51):
Us you can find us On, facebook you can find
us On, instagram you can find us On.
Speaker 2 (01:03:55):
Twitter, Yes we Are Conspiracy stuff On twitter And, Facebook
Conspiracy Stuff show On. Instagram we have a phone. Number
it is one eight three three st d w y T.
K you can leave us a, message tell us what
you think about this, episode give us suggestions for, others
make us, laugh tell us something interesting about yourself or
(01:04:17):
your Aunt. Judy whatever you want to, Do we're. Interested
give us a.
Speaker 3 (01:04:22):
Call, yes give us a.
Speaker 1 (01:04:24):
Call let's know what you. Think reach out and you
know What i'm gonna, say because everybody needs these human moments.
Nowadays you, KNOW i have to have an interesting. Story
if you've got something redd it would call mildly, interesting all,
right lay it, honest.
Speaker 2 (01:04:39):
Yeah or just tell us how you're getting through this whole.
Thing you've you got any, tips or just tell us
how you're. Doing that's totally. Awesome and if you don't
want to do any of that, stuff you can always
send us a good old fashioned.
Speaker 1 (01:04:50):
Email we are conspiracy at iHeartRadio dot.
Speaker 2 (01:04:52):
Com stuff They Don't Want you To know is a
(01:05:13):
production Of. iHeartRadio for more podcasts From, iHeartRadio visit The iHeartRadio,
App Apple, podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite.
Speaker 3 (01:05:21):
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