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Nothing stirs up as much controversy as dating dramas, and few industries generate more passionate fandoms than Korea’s entertainment empire. When those two spaces overlap, it becomes a gold mine for Internet discourse. That’s precisely what happened last weekend when rumors of a new K-drama date hit newsstands. Korean actors Ryu Jun-yeol and Han So-hee were spotted together in Hawaii on Friday, leading many to believe they were dating. Reacting to the news, Ryu’s ex-girlfriend Hyeri, a member of the K-pop group Girl’s Day, took to Instagram to share her thoughts. In her story, she posted a photo from Hawaii with Captain “That’s funny” and unfollowed Ryu. Shortly after, Han posted a message indicating that she was not involved in the hoax, writing, “I find this funny too. ” The next day, Han made her Instagram account personal and posted on her blog confirming her date with Ryu, maintaining that she did not overlap with Hyeri’s. He apologized for his Instagram story and advised that he would also apologize to Hyeri. On Monday, Hyeri posted another message, apologizing for accidentally stirring up a controversy while confirming the timeline of her date with Ryu, thus clearing Han’s name. Unsurprisingly, this news left K-pop enthusiasts stunned and the K-dramas. Hyeri enthusiasts rushed to protect the artist, which in many cases involved attacking Han. In X, enthusiasts called Han a homewrecker, a liar, unfriendly, spoiled, and a bitch. In particular, those enthusiasts criticized Han for not being a “girl’s girl” due to her reaction to Hyeri’s initial post. All this hate is nothing new within the K-pop fandom. A post on the r/unpopularkpopopinions subreddit from 4 years ago lists all the reasons why Han is obnoxious and attention-seeking, and the number of comments on the post indicates that it’s not such an unpopular opinion after all. Many modern-day Hyeri enthusiasts agree and portray Hyeri as absolutely innocent and Han as the bad guy. As you can probably guess, Han enthusiasts have questioned this narrative. Many lamented that Han was treated like a criminal for a single Instagram post, saying she had the right to protect herself from homewrecker accusations. A popular fan account on ‘actress’. Others were saddened that Han deleted all photos from her blog (which one user called a “comfort zone” for enthusiasts) and wondered if she was okay. The broader context of the Korean entertainment industry is vital here. K-pop is characterized by its incredibly strict “slave contracts” that occasionally come with clauses prohibiting idols from dating. K-drama stars like Han do not have the same restrictions, although some skill agencies have inserted punitive divorce clauses into actors’ contracts following controversy several years ago. Considering this high-pressure environment, some of Han’s enthusiasts have denounced the double standards of K-pop fans. “You always say you want to see Korean celebrities stand up for themselves, but that’s what you do when she does it,” one user wrote. Fortunately, not everyone accepted the narrative that opposes the two stars. Some have speculated that the real offender here is Ryu, who failed to protect any of those women amid the controversy. “God, take all of Hyeri and Sohee’s pain and give it to that cowardly idiot Ryu Junyeol,” wrote one X user. Many other posts followed this format, with enthusiasts praying that Han and/or Hyeri’s suffering from Hyeri be transferred to express men, like the cast of Squid Game, or to men in general. If there’s one thing Hyeri and Han enthusiasts can agree on, it’s that Ryu rarely values him very much.
In theory, enthusiasts need their favorites to lead fulfilled and fulfilling lives, but Stan culture means that anyone perceived as an obstacle to that purpose is the enemy. While enthusiasts have enough strength to steer the narrative about their favorite celebrities, those narratives have a tendency to stick to a sexist formula. In the case of the brief skirmish between Hyeri and Han So-hee, lines were drawn in the arena, but not everyone took a position in the front line. If there’s any hope here, it’s that some enthusiasts have exposed the sexist narrative and exposed the genuine enemy: dead boyfriends.
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