More than publicly calling out wrongdoing to foster justice, Korean netizens have now become accustomed to canceling brands, TV shows, idols, and actors' careers with just a tap of a keyboard. Thus, making it today a culture. Everyday controversies arise, and allegations are blurted out haphazardly, making you think if this Cancel Culture is serving its true purpose of exposing the truth, or are we just infamously shaming people because we can?
Here are some of the personalities that the public eye has recently judged:
1. Bigbang's Seungri - involved in the Burning Sun Scandal with allegations of drug use and sex trafficking. Angered fans lead to his departure from YG Entertainment and, ultimately, the industry.
2. AOA's Jimin - accused of bullying former member Mina for almost a decade. She had the fastest decrease in subscriptions from her YouTube channel and eventually terminating all activities as an idol.
3. Actor Ji Soo - allegations of school violence/bullying lead to his immediate removal halfway in the popular series "River Where The Moon Rises" and replaced by another actor that resulted in having to reshoot scenes of his character. Producers of the show eventually sued Jisoo's agency for damages.
4. Korean Mukbang Youtubers - Tzuyang, Boki & MBRO were heavily criticized for not disclosing promotion ads in their episodes, leading to some closing their channels.
(In Photo L-R: MBRO, Boki, Tzuyang)
5. Joseon Exorcist - Despite being one of the highly anticipated series of 2021, the show was scrutinized by the Korean audience by using Chinese props and supposedly distorting Korean history. With just two episodes in, the production decided to cancel the show after brand sponsors started withdrawing from the show. Actor and production staff are now reportedly not getting paid for the work they contributed, having already shot 14 out of the intended 16 episodes of the series.