CW: This episode contains discussions of suicide and SA.
Imagine being eleven years old and told that you have what it takes to be a star. All you have to do to achieve this success is drop out of school, move out of your parents' house, go on a strict diet, train until you pass out, learn multiple languages, maybe get plastic surgery, possibly bleach your skin, never say the wrong thing, and be, well, "perfect." Oh, and you have to do this for at least 10, 13, maybe 19 years before finding out if you'll even make it as a performer.
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988lifeline.org
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration: samhsa.gov
South Korea Suicide Helpline: lifeline.or.kr
Episode Sources:
“The dark side of South Korean pop music” by Lucy Williamson, BBC News, June 15, 2011
“The Contracts Behind K-Pop” by Mariana Seagram, Woroni, Sep 19, 2017
“PROBLEMS WITH K-POP: RULES, SLAVES CONTRACTS, CYBERBULLYING AND LITTLE FOOD AND MONEY”
“Wheesung, South Korean Star Who Helped Bring R&B to K-Pop, Dead at 43” by
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