Netizens Criticize SM Entertainment’s Recent Actions — Accusing The Company Of Being “Greedy”

It’s all about the groups’ lightsticks.

Two things that are unique to K-Pop are lightsticks and photocards. Both are key items for any K-Pop fan, but the way people collect them can vary depending on the groups and each fan’s individual decisions. One company that has always had beautiful lightsticks is SM Entertainment

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Aespa’s Winter and Karina with their lightstick
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NCT’s Jaehyun with the group’s lightstick
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Red Velvet’s Seulgi holding their lightstick

Like all companies, when you buy the item, they normally come with a pack of photocards that see the members holding their lightsticks.

Yet, SM Entertainment’s recent decision with its lightsticks has come under fire. Recently, the company announced a fresh batch of sales for their artists.

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When fans went to buy the lightsticks, they were happy to see that photocards came with the items, but some were confused as only one was showing rather than having all of the members, as most companies do. Yet, many gave them the benefit of the doubt as it might have been too much to have all the PCs, especially with the size of some of the groups.

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Yet, looking closer at the details of the lightstick, netizens noticed that there was no error. In fact, SM Entertainment advertised that with each lightstick, fans would get one random photocard of one member.

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When the photos were shared and netizens noticed SM’s new stance on photocards, they couldn’t stop criticizing the company, calling them cheap and greedy.

Not only were there no upgrades with the lightsticks, but they also made it hard for fans who collect photocards. In particular, they emphasized how hard it makes lives for collectors because while buying albums to collect all the photocards is tough, it’s doable, but buying excessive amounts of lightsticks in the hope of collecting them all seems impossible.

K-Pop companies have always been criticized for taking advantage of fans, and many have dubbed this decision a product of “capitalism greed.”

Source: theqoo
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