It is widely acknowledged in international music markets that one of the biggest strengths of K-Pop is fan loyalty, which makes it a very prolific industry. Once an artist is able to get recognition, they garner a faithful fanbase that is devoted to supporting every professional endeavor, from music to brand promotions.
However, this very element also gives the consumers a unique hold over K-Pop agencies, where their purchasing power can dictate an artist’s career direction to a significant extent. And sometimes, fans have used it to their leverage through boycotting their favorite artists for having their demands met. Here are a few of such K-Pop idols:
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iKON
In 2017, the fanbase of iKON started a boycott of YG Entertainment merchandise and activities out of frustration with the company’s management of the group. Some of their complaints included erratic schedules at the cost of the members’ health, insufficient promotion in local markets, and repeated cancellation of scheduled events. The boycott was effective as both the artist and the agency addressed it directly and tried to resolve the situation through dialogue.
iKON has released a single album in Korea this past May and is currently working on releasing their new album as soon as possible. They also have plans on meeting their fans as much as possible. We think there was a misunderstanding with the fans. iKON’s members have been seasonally active through MBC’s “Thinking Of Oppa” and SBS’s “Fantastic Duo 2″. They will be appearing in various variety shows and will also continue their individual activities.
— YG Entertainment
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Super Junior
In 2019, Super Junior fans announced a comprehensive boycott of the group, including watching and sharing any content from them on social media, listening to their music, purchasing merchandise, and so on. The boycott was motivated by fans’ demand to remove two members, Kangin and Sungmin from the group permanently. While the former was found guilty on multiple hit-and-run DUI cases, as well as arrested for physically assaulting his girlfriend, the latter was criticized for mishandling his marriage announcement. While Kanging ended up leaving the group eventually, Sungmin is still technically a member, even though he has been on an indefinite hiatus from group activities since 2015.
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Chen (EXO)
In 2020, the EXO member was unexpectedly revealed to be getting married to his then-pregnant fiancée. The news was met with mixed reactions, with the negative ones taking it to the extreme. Those who felt “betrayed” by this news, particularly a significant portion of the Korean fanbase, started demanding the withdrawal of Chen from EXO, announcing their boycott of the artist.
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SEVENTEEN
In January this year, Korean fans of SEVENTEEN declared a boycott of the group’s encore concert series in Korea and Japan. These fans were unhappy that the group was scheduled to celebrate their 9-year anniversary in Japan rather than Korea. This sentiment was also fueled by the fact that in 2023, the group had already done 12 shows in Japan, which was significantly more than the two standalone shows they did in Korea that year.
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Aespa
Recently, a major Chinese fanbase of aespa member Karina announced their boycott of all aespa content and music. They declared that all their major funds would be used to support only the solo activities of the idol, which, at this point, include mostly brand endorsements. This boycott came after the fanbase expressed their frustration with SM Entertainment’s management of the singer. Karina Bar accused the label of mishandling its artists, and put a few demands forward for Karina particularly, including ensuring safer stage costumes and better response to fans’ concerns.
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