Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

Hello Class. Sorry to add another dismal blog but I think it is important for the class to understand the dark-side of Korean show-biz. In class, we see the glamorous, polished side of Korean dramas and Korean music; however, I think it is also important for the naive Hallyu enthusiast to fully understand the whole story behind the Korean popular culture business in order to completely appreciate what these celebrities do and what they put up with. Anyways, so yea, in the recent past, two Korean celebrities committed suicide within three weeks of each other. Had the powers of Popular Korean culture affected these women to the point where they resorted to suicide-a comment element in the melodramatic Korean dramas? Don’t answer that. Well, another thing I wanted to mention was that according to my Korean FOB friends, a lot of celebrities are involved with the Korean mafia to pay off the litigation problems the celebrities face. Hence, I wonder how and what the Management agencies are going to do to really protect their clients better. Sorry for the sad post. Enjoy Goong!

Showbiz Suicides Alarm Management Agencies
ChosunIlbo
Feb. 13, 2007

Alarm bells are ringing in Korea’s entertainment business after the apparent suicides of pop singer U;Nee and actress Jeong Da-bin within three weeks of each other.

Agencies are clearly worried. While the stars ostensibly enjoy wealth and fame, they are also more at risk than ordinary people because their kudos can vanish in an instant. The fickle nature of the business brings its attendant anxieties, especially for women, experts say.

The actress Choi Jin-sil recalls the envy of other performers when she was a teen star. “You may think that the happiest moments come with the ‘golden time’ of celebrity,” she says. “But the mental stress is extreme as well.” She admits she suffered from great insecurity not knowing if her fame would last.

Then there is the threat of litigation. As a star’s popularity soars and their fees rise, lawsuits become commonplace, especially from management agencies. Jeong was being sued for pulling out of a contract with her former management agency in February 2005. Already in 2002, she was accused of failing to hand over part of her pay to the agency. She lost. Min Sung-kil, a psychiatrist from Severance Hospital said celebrities in many cases are more exposed to stress than ordinary people. “As a last resort, depressed celebrities may choose to kill themselves.”



From left: Jeong Da-bin, U;Nee and Lee Eun-ju

Management agencies are reassessing their role to protect the celebrities they represent. Namoo Actors, the agency of the actress Lee Eun-ju, who committed suicide in 2005, is taking more time with its star entertainers. Fantom Entertainment Group, which represents the actresses Han Hyo-joo and So Yu-jin and singer Ivy, is taking particular care with its female clients, including ample consultation time.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Scientific Investigation (NISI) after a postmortem on Monday tentatively concluded the death of Jeong Da-bin was suicide. It said there was no evidence of foul play and Jeong’s body showed clear evidence of death by hanging. Jeong’s boyfriend, identified by his last name Lee, who discovered the body and called police, said the actress first tried to kill herself by cutting her wrist in Sept. 2006. Jeong’s family and her new agency had requested the postmortem, asserting that the scar on her wrist was the result of a suicide attempt in her teens, not last year, and saying she had no reason to kill herself.

Jeong’s funeral service was delayed by a day due to the postmortem and will now be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Asan Medical Center.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200702/200702130015.html