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In the Spring of 2024, the Korean mass media was flooded with reports of celebrities' romantic relationships. In Korean culture, the public is sensitive regarding the romantic relationships of stars. Even a slight involvement in a romantic scandal can lead to harsh criticism and a decline in popularity. Regardless of whether the scandal is true or not, celebrities feel compelled to apologize to the public once the news is out. This article is going to review the psychological mechanism behind this phenomenon and how the public's response differs based on the type of celebrity involved.
To begin with, the grounding of the public's voyeuristic interest in celebrities' love scandals is a parasocial relationship or interaction (PSI), which refers to a kind of phantom relationship that a person feels without any basis in reality. Therefore, PSI cannot help but become a one-sided interaction where the subject is not aware and does not reciprocate the feelings of the perceiver. The subject can be someone who appears in media or even a fictional character. Parasocial relationships can explain why people become obsessed with the romantic relationships of celebrities.
Indeed, the Korean entertainment industry tends to foster the foundation for such relationships to develop between stars and fans, as casual expressions of endearment like girlfriend/boyfriend style pictures and Aegyo (Korean term for behaving cutely) are widespread within Korean culture. This particular interaction that celebrities have with their fans often leads to disappointment and feelings of betrayal if the celebrity falls in love with someone else. This is more prevalent among female K-pop idols.
For example, in February of 2024, Karina - a member of the girl group Aespa - publicly acknowledged her romantic involvement with actor Lee Jaewook. Some of her fans were furious and critical of her decision. After receiving backlash, Karina wrote a public apology letter and ended her relationship with Lee Jaewook within a month.
However, the public responded differently to Jihyo from Twice and former Olympic athlete Yoon Seongbin's relationship, which was reported only a month after Karina and Lee Jaewook's scandal. Most people congratulated and even encouraged their relationships. This difference derives from Karina and Jiyho's status. Karina has only been in the K-pop industry for four years, while Jiyho has been in it for almost ten years. Additionally, a significant portion of Karina's fandom is built around parasocial romantic connections. Therefore, Karina was more vulnerable to a public romantic relationship.
Celebrities can exist because of the support they receive from their fans. In addition, targeting the fan’s love and feeling is a tactic for the Korean entertainment industry to gain popularity. As stated above, the recent issues concerning celebrities' love scandals call for serious attention to the responsibility of stars to carefully manage their fame and image, as well as the necessity for fans to respect their privacy and maintain a safe distance.
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