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A social media post about parents burning all of their daughter's K-pop merchandise has gone viral. K-pop fans and Twitter users in general have been criticizing the parents' actions.
The viral video saw a fan crying after her parents burned all of her precious merchandise, and it drew a lot of sympathy from other K-pop lovers.
A netizen shared the video with the caption:
"If you are unable to be supportive parents, you can simply speak slowly before taking action to burn all of the items as well as some items given to you by friends. If you don't like the k-pop merchandise in the house, tell them to sell it or give it to someone who does."
The young girl was seen crying in her room in the video, as she later sat outside and went through a pile of ashes.
The video has drawn criticism from K-pop fans
No young fan is oblivious to the judgment that comes from being a K-pop fan.
Many fans online have expressed concern for the girl in the video and hoped that she is not too hurt by this. Netizens remarked:
"Why have children in the first place if you can't respect them? My heart breaks for her so much, I hope she’s okay."
A social media user also said:
"'Why doesn't our daughter speak to us anymore?' Lol this is why."
A well-wisher wrote:
"I hope she's able to recover soon."
An individual also mentioned that the merch that fans collect is one of the sources of their happiness.
They also shared instances of parents being supportive of their child's love for Korean pop in light of the heart-breaking incident.
Individuals are coming together to talk about how collecting merch has been a necessary coping mechanism for them and how they have sometimes used such merch during dire times.
Collecting your favorite group's special merchandise and albums is one of the perks of being a fan. Of course, collecting these items can be expensive, but fans can own memorabilia from their favorite artists.
The K-pop industry excels in this area, as entertainment companies constantly release limited-edition merchandise for fans to collect. The industry works on a revenue model of constantly generating lucrative merchandise.
Most popular groups also collaborate with brands to release limited edition merch. Students and young adults must either ask their parents to purchase these items or use their allowance money to do so. Friends also occasionally exchange these items.
More about Korean pop's global impact
The University of South Carolina (USC) recently kicked off a student panel with an in-depth discussion of the recent globalization of Korean culture.
The event, held at USC's Wallis Annenberg Hall and hosted by professor Henry Jenkins, aims to investigate 'K-pop as a global cultural phenomenon.' The panel discussed a variety of topics and perspectives, including Korean pop's global appeal and the issue of identity in Korean pop.
Dom Rodriguez, the head of SM Entertainment USA, a major Korean label, was a member of the panel and spoke about the structured intentionality behind Korean pop's global reach. The Korean pop tradition of appealing to audiences outside of Korea has persisted. It has become a massive phenomenon and continues to expand its reach.
