Kpop being colorists

Although I haven’t been into kpop for no longer than about 8 months, I’ve quickly become a HUGE fan and I’ve also ran into multiple scandals and MOST of them being on different kpop idols being colorist/ racist.

While I knew alot of them would low key be colorist( hello they live in a country where it is 99% Asians and they only see themselves) I was still hoping that they would have made some progress forward. But no, Korea’s beauty standards are still extremely toxic and it’s still standard and BETTER if you’re pale.

Now flashback to MOST if not all of these idols baby pics and all of them are tan as hell as kids/teens . It’s not until they become successful idols they start to get lighter and lighter. Which alot suspect as bleaching their skin. Now bleaching is common in a few places but it’s massive in South Korea. To the point that if you’re darker or maybe just your natural skin color, you’re seen as dirty and not beautiful. I understand fully this is the way it’s always been in south Korea and it’s their culture, but that doesn’t mean it’s right or that it shouldn’t change.

I’VE used hwasa and Kai, two extremely talented, popular and sexy idols to prove my point. They’re their natural skin color and often got teased and dragged for being ” too dark” in the beginning. Now the kpop world is coming around , kinda to accepting darker skin tones, But not really.

I’ve recently come across a couple of rappers and kpop groups that have been called out for being racist/ colorist. Some so extreme, I felt a little sick to my stomach. Some acknowledge and apologized, while others swept it under the rug. Which left me honestly a little disappointed.

Kpop, k-r&b, and k-hiphop thrive ENTIRELY OFF OF BLACK CULTURE. All those little rappers are literally copying what they’ve seen black artists do, Most of them dark skinned. I just don’t understand how you can copy and paste our culture but mock us for it behind our backs!? Granted Americans have mocked Asians before and we have all these asian stereotypes, so both communities are in the wrong. I just wish the world could give up this whole “pale Is better and pale is beauty”, because it seriously harms the mental health of darker skinned fans.

I know it’s not just kpop with colorist issues,( it’s literally the whole world). But I just want some accountability to happen. I need these Korean artists to understand the music they love and copy is because of black people. And the colorist jokes need to stop. It’s not funny and it’s not cute and to be worldwide idols, they should know better by now. Like I said I understand it’s their culture, and between my black friends they would always point out how I’m the darkest and make harmless jokes, so maybe alot it when’s it’s between groups is ” harmless”. But that doesn’t stop the fact the the kpop industry is very lokey racist while profiting off the very ones they make fun off.

All I’m saying as a dark skin fan, is do better, be smarter, be kinder and give credit where it’s due. It’s not gonna kill you to change the way you look at something or someone. As a fan I’m not gonna cancel you, because cancel culture is just as toxic and I love you. But I want you to understand how that makes me feel as a black fan, I want to politely educate you so you learn and know better . PALE IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO BE BEAUTIFUL.