When K-Pop Meets American Politics

After a massive online prank left the Trump campaign with an embarrassingly empty stadium for a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. political analysis turned to an unusual subject: K-pop fans. International media and analysts alike have rushed to figure out exactly how fans of Korean super groups were able to execute such a huge project seemingly overnight. In the aftermath of the event, good analyses have dug into the diverse and multifaceted group of people that follow K-pop in the United States (see P. Claire Dodson’s article for Teen Vogue), how they organize so quickly and so well (see Haeryun Kang for NPR), and even discussions of negative experiences in K-pop fandom, particularly among Black fans (see Stitch’s article for Vice).

Perhaps surprisingly for some, the discussion has largely left out the Korean artists themselves, as well as the Korean government, which has increasingly invested in building goodwill and sympathetic audiences around the world through its powerhouse pop culture. 

The recent spate of political activism in the United States was driven by fans, for the fans – it had very little, if anything, to do with K-pop groups per se. In fact, fans reacted with horror when, in the wake of the tanked Trump rally in Tulsa, a news anchor asked K-pop group TXT what they thought of the recent fan mobilization. In response to the segment, fans criticized the show for assuming that the South Korea-based group would know about U.S. politics. Comments include: “The whole thing was done by the U.S k-pop fans and NOT the korean idols themselves so you need to understand how different the two are” and “stick to asking US kpop *fans* about what we do. Please don't ask the artists- they're not involved.”

For many, the Korean artists and their music helped build a community of fans, one that was highly active, organized, and able to get to work trending a hashtag, sharing a new music video, or voting for an award show at the drop of a hat. Once those communities were forged, they also began taking on other priorities important to their diverse members, including political activism.

But while these movements are clearly separated from the artists themselves in the minds of fans, the perception that K-pop fans are being mobilized by Korean groups to carry out political activities in the United States is likely a cause for concern in Seoul. Accusations that K-pop fans are foreign agents of (somehow) both North and South Korea, or that K-pop artists are conspiring with New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drew scorn (and plenty of fancam responses) on Twitter. 

These accusations seem absurd to people who know anything about K-pop and its fanbase in the United States. But the fact that people can so easily assume that the K-pop fans who are doing this are foreign, or that any actions related to K-pop are directed by South Korea itself, has to be a concern in Seoul – especially when K-pop activism is targeting the current head of state of South Korea’s closest ally. 

K-pop and International Politics 

K-pop is no stranger to international spats, despite the industry’s efforts to avoid politics at all costs. This aversion to controversy stems from the quest to find loyal fandoms within South Korea’s incredibly oversaturated music market – anything that could alienate potential fans is a no-go. This is not to say that no groups are socially active. In fact, BTS has attracted many of their fans in part because they set themselves apart by discussing Korean social issues in their music. 

However, while idols have been more and more willing in recent years to discuss some issues – like cyberbullying and mental health – politics has remained largely a taboo subject for Korean stars, and many receive strong backlash for speaking up or even alluding to controversial topics. Women have it particularly bad in this regard. Female stars have been harshly criticized for speaking up on the issue of abortion, reading a feminist novel, or even just using a phone case that read “Girls can do anything.” Before the National Assembly elections this spring, singer Taeyon drew ire online for posting a selfie wearing a blue cardigan with the caption “Blue” – which netizens took to mean she would be supporting the ruling party, whose color is blue.

This mindset – that mentioning anything political will inevitably draw criticism – has largely carried over into the industry’s international push as well. Nevertheless, many stars regularly donate to humanitarian causes and work with charitable organizations. In 2018, BTS was invited to speak at the UN as part of its wildly successful “Love Myself” anti-violence campaign with UNICEF, which has raised more than $2 million since its inception. Fan organizations in South Korea and around the world often emulate their stars, donating to causes around the world in their favorite group’s name. 

But while positive, noncontroversial charitable work is widely praised, getting involved in political issues is another matter. Korean stars who have spoken up about South Korea’s island dispute with Japan drew ire in the Japanese media. A Taiwan-born K-pop star was forced to apologize after waving the Republic of China flag on a show. And sometimes K-pop groups and their international activities are caught in the middle of existing international spats without doing anything at all, such as when China cut off Korean entertainment from its market for years because of a disagreement over a U.S. missile defense system.

These experiences may be part of why Korean fans expressed concern over the very public connection between international K-pop fans and American partisan politics. Raising awareness about Black Lives Matter and donating funds – as many K-pop artists have done in recent weeks – is one thing, but getting bogged down in the American presidential campaign is quite another, they say.

Soft Power

So where does this leave South Korean soft power? In a sense, this month has shown how far K-pop’s audience extends. The quick and effective mobilization proved the power of a fandom that can, and indeed does, mobilize to support Korean goals as well – whether it’s organizing donations to a group supporting Korean comfort women or sharing videos of their favorite stars performing at a peace-themed concert in Pyongyang.

This does not in any way mean that fans were somehow duped or forced to support these causes. That’s the beauty of soft power – by its very definition, it is the power to educate and attract a foreign audience, making them want to learn more about your country and the issues important to it, not coerce them into supporting something they would not otherwise. But the inverse is also true: Those same foreign audiences are free to take up other causes that might appeal to them, even when doing so might cause a political headache for South Korea.

As the incident with TXT highlighted, fans will be the first to make it clear that their recent activism in the United States was not meant to be reflective of the K-pop groups they support, much less the country from which those groups hail. Nevertheless, this confusion will likely linger especially as American fans will probably continue to stay active in these issues as the November election draws closer.