Korean artist loses millions of dollars, faces cold shoulder after being banned

Korean artists who violate the law such as using illegal substances, driving while drunk, evading taxes, evading military service, being involved in sex scandals or having moral stains in their personal lives... do not have the opportunity to return to performing arts in Korea.

Not only were they erased, removed from the Korean central television stations, and restricted from appearing on screen, but their fans also had a resolute boycott attitude towards them. For artists classified as "tainted artists", the opportunity to return to showbiz in the kimchi country is very difficult or even "impossible".

Last March, KBS (one of Korea’s national broadcasters) imposed restrictions on celebrities who have caused social controversies from appearing on its programs. Specifically, celebrities accused of sexual assault and harassment, military service evasion, drug use, fraud, theft, gambling, and other civil/criminal prosecutions are on the list of individuals banned from appearing on KBS television.

Nghệ sĩ Hàn Quốc mất hàng triệu USD, chịu sự ghẻ lạnh khi bị phong sát - 1 — Park Yoo Chun has no chance to return to acting after the drug scandal (Photo: Naver).

Actor and singer Park Yoo Chun, star of the drama Rooftop Prince , has been banned from broadcasting since his drug scandal. Park Yoo Chun received a two-year suspended sentence and paid a 1.4 million won (24 million VND) fine. He also announced his retirement after being fired by his management company in late April 2019. Over the past few years, he has tried to return to work but has not received support from fans.

In October 2021, young Korean singer Choi Sung Bong was accused of lying about having cancer and calling for donations from the public for treatment. Immediately after being "exposed", the singer spoke up to explain and announced to return the money to fans. In addition, Choi Sung Bong was also removed from two TV shows with the explanation: "We cancel videos featuring artists who cause controversy and affect the community."

Kang Ho Dong, a famous Korean MC, had his career ruined after being discovered for tax evasion in 2011. The male MC had total assets of about 30 million USD but only paid a low tax rate, far less than the value of his assets. Because of the scandal, Kang Ho Dong proactively withdrew from the entertainment industry, and Kang Ho Dong's previously recorded programs were also edited, not allowing him to appear on screen.

Nghệ sĩ Hàn Quốc mất hàng triệu USD, chịu sự ghẻ lạnh khi bị phong sát - 2 — Kang Ho Dong was turned away by the audience because of the tax evasion scandal (Photo: Sina).

Seungri, a former member of Big Bang, has been shunned by the public and subjected to harsh punishments since being investigated. In 2022, the idol star, famous throughout Asia, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined 1.15 billion won (more than 19 billion VND) for crimes such as prostitution, prostitution brokerage, embezzlement, violation of food safety laws, illegal gambling, violation of foreign exchange laws...

Before being investigated, he was a male idol with a huge fan base around the world and an impressive business career. After being investigated in 2019, Seungri had to announce his retirement, withdrawing from the group Big Bang and the entertainment group JYP Entertainment.

In early 2023, Seungri finished his prison term but he continued to be turned away by the audience. Many viewers called for a boycott of Seungri, not allowing the idol star to appear on television or perform programs on social media platforms...

Nghệ sĩ Hàn Quốc mất hàng triệu USD, chịu sự ghẻ lạnh khi bị phong sát - 3 — Seungri is not forgiven by the audience even though he has completed his prison term (Photo: Spotvnews).

In 2019, Korean public opinion was shaken by the news that a series of famous male artists participated in a chat group that spread sex clips and secretly filmed them. Names that once said no to scandals such as Jung Joon Young, Seungri (Big Bang), Choi Jong Hoon all shocked the audience.

Before that, they were all promising, talented artists and received absolute support from the audience. However, the dark corners in their personal lives caused their careers and reputations to disappear. Immediately after being investigated, the two young artists announced their retirement, bowed their heads to apologize to their fans and received prison sentences for their crimes. Their social media accounts also quickly disappeared.

Nghệ sĩ Hàn Quốc mất hàng triệu USD, chịu sự ghẻ lạnh khi bị phong sát - 4 — Choi Jong Hoon (right) and Jung Joon Young had to retire and receive prison sentences for violating the law (Photo: Newsen).

Asian fans are true fans when they give absolute love, affection and support to their idols. However, once the trust is destroyed, their turning their backs on their idols is scary. Kim Hyun Joong - former member of the boy band SS501 is a typical example.

Kim Hyun Joong was once a "prince" in the hearts of fans, with fans in Korea, China, Singapore, Vietnam... However, 2014 marked a stain in Kim Hyun Joong's career.

The Boys Over Flowers star was involved in a love scandal with his ex-girlfriend. A girl suddenly filed a lawsuit against him for beating her during their relationship. The girl later agreed to withdraw the lawsuit after Kim Hyun Joong publicly apologized and paid her a sum of money.

In 2015, bad luck continued to follow Kim Hyun Joong when this girl suddenly announced that she was carrying the "blood" of the famous Korean male singer and demanded that he take responsibility. The DNA test results later showed that the son that Ms. Choi gave birth to was Kim Hyun Joong's son.

Since his personal life was exposed, Kim Hyun Joong disappeared from the entertainment industry and let his management company speak for him. The male artist also quickly enlisted in the army at a time when he was facing the biggest crisis of his career. Kim Hyun Joong's silence and avoidance of responsibility caused him to be boycotted by the audience.

After being discharged from the army, Kim Hyun Joong expressed his intention to return to the entertainment industry. Despite working hard, building a positive image, actively acting in movies or singing, Kim Hyun Joong has had difficulty regaining the love and support of the audience. From a male idol with a bright future, Kim Hyun Joong is now just a bland artist in Korean showbiz.

Nghệ sĩ Hàn Quốc mất hàng triệu USD, chịu sự ghẻ lạnh khi bị phong sát - 5 — Kim Hyun Joong lost his bright halo when he was discovered beating his girlfriend and abandoning his child (Photo: Naver).

In 2023, the Korean entertainment industry was shocked by the drug scandal of "film king" Yoo Ah In. He was accused of using 4 types of drugs and was officially investigated since last February. Yoo Ah In's case shocked the Korean public.

In April 2023, Yoo Ah In was summoned for investigation. Since being caught up in the law, the actor stopped working and disappeared from social media. The actor also had his role in the Hellbound 2 project canceled. The Korean media said that Yoo Ah In's career ended at the age of U40.

Before being banned from broadcasting, Yoo Ah In was ranked as a talented star in the Korean entertainment industry, having won the Best Actor award twice at the Blue Dragon Film Awards (the award known as the Korean Oscar). Brands also quickly removed his image and stopped working with Yoo Ah In while waiting for the results of the investigation.

Nghệ sĩ Hàn Quốc mất hàng triệu USD, chịu sự ghẻ lạnh khi bị phong sát - 6 — Yoo Ah In was boycotted and banned from broadcasting due to drug scandal (Photo: Sina).

In 2023, "acting genius" Kim Sae Ron was on KBS's banned list. In May 2022, actress Kim Sae Ron was accused of driving under the influence and causing a serious accident in Seoul (South Korea). After causing the accident, she fled the scene.

The 2000-born actress’s actions were heavily criticized. Although Kim Sae Ron posted an apology letter and announced compensation for the families and businesses affected by the accident, she was not forgiven by the audience.

The actress stopped working in May 2022, had her contracts canceled by brands and was facing the risk of having to pay millions of dollars in compensation to her partners. In March 2023, the young star had to appear in court and admitted that she was facing financial difficulties. The actress revealed that she had to work part-time at a cafe to earn extra income.