Double-standard is very prominent in the entertainment industry. K-pop fandoms have always been aware of this ongoing issue whenever some idols faced little to no consequences for their dangerous actions while others were heavily criticised for something harmless. This very recent news has gotten K-pop fans riled up after they noticed the differences in public reaction but could this actually be a case of double standard?
Yesterday (Wednesday, 7th August), it was reported that SUGA (슈가) of BTS was caught committing a traffic violation by riding an electric scooter while under the influence of alcohol. HYBE claimed that he fell off the vehicle after parking it outside his home where police officers in the vicinity assisted him before taking him to the nearest police station. However, CCTV footage showed the idol cruising along a busy road.
According to Korean news, the 31-year-old was fined and his license was revoked. He has since apologised for the incident. Fans were divided after hearing about his DUI – some were disappointed while others chose to forgive him for his mistake. The trending topic then led to K-pop fans arguing about the double standard between idols.
Many brought up BLACKPINK(블랙핑크) ‘s Jennie (제니)’s indoor vaping incident where the singer was caught exhaling smoke near her staff’s face. Fans argued that the “Solo” singer faced an unjustifiably excruciating amount of hate and criticism for her actions compared to SUGA, who they claimed many ARMYs excused his reckless behaviour. As seen in the comments below, some pointed out that what the “AGUST D” artist did was far more dangerous than Jennie smoking in an enclosed space.
Of course, ARMYs came to their idol’s defence saying that he is taking responsibility for his actions. According to TheQoo, Korean netizens slammed the idol online to the point that they requested to have him removed from BTS. Meanwhile, the Korean military issued a statement regarding the incident saying that SUGA would not face any secondary disciplinary action other than civil punishment as he was off duty at the time.
What do you think about this? Was it a double standard or just a fan war between two fandoms?
Sources: Twitter (1)(2)(3), TheQoo, Koreaboo
