Kpop fans are known for their dedication to their idols with their looks and sweet charms, but there are those who go above and beyond, with their obsession bleeding out as a fetish for the idol’s ethnicity. Not every Asian in general, male or female, listens to Kpop, watch dramas, maintains prestigious skin care routines, or have any interests relating to charismatic behaviour you would normally see with Korean idols, so why do some obsess over them?
As an issue pointed out many times throughout the course of the Hallyu Wave reaching western shores, a few of you still don’t get it…
*asian guy walks down the street*
Koreaboos with Jungkook 97 sweaters: pic.twitter.com/GnteMStNaF
— ً (@joonables) February 18, 2019
To have a sexual preference in terms of race strays light years into the realm of fetishisation and stereotyping. It’s not different to the usual “Yellow fever” we hear about where the idea of having an East Asian woman is built around the stereotype that they’re going to be caring, submissive and vulnerable – a damsel in distress.
This plays into the sex tourism that goes on in some Eastern Asian countries such as Thailand and The Philippines.where musty white men drag their selves to these places in the hopes of finding a bride. Often this can lead to abuse within the marriage if the wife happens to step out of line.
https://twitter.com/mixielot/status/1096971369881919488
This thing applies to Kpop fans feeling the need to actively pursue dating a Korean or asian person, solely because there is a need for their target to meet needs exhibited when they see their idol. These people are not objects for consumption, and it goes further when there is a need to purposely point out that their boyfriend or girlfriend is Korean, which is a running theme in a lot of YouTube videos. Who knows what would happen if these poor souls were to deviate from what their obsessive partner thinks of them.
There’s nothing wrong with developing crushes on your idols, that’s what they’re marketed for so they can collect your coins. But, to have a sexual preference and fantasise them (or anyone else for that matter) solely for their ethnicity? Let’s not! It needs to be noted that South Korea isn’t some exotic treasure trove where its population are to be treated like Pokémon, so there’s no wanting to play it out as such. Korean pop music and Korean Dramas aren’t representations of Korean society, culture, and its populous.
