Are Idols Incapable of Thought? The Cultural Lag of the K-POP Fandom Revealed Through the Choi Siwon Witch Hunt

[Magazine Kave = Reporter Park Sunam] In the modern mass culture industry, an artist is no longer a mere performer but a massive sign and a nodal point of capital. In particular, South Korea's K-POP industry has achieved global success over the past few decades through a "Fordist" method of production, grounded in high-level planning and strict control. In this process, the ego of the artist has been thoroughly castrated or concealed for the sake of the system's stability. However, the infinite expansion of the global fandom and the rapid shift in the era's paradigm are now posing fundamental and philosophical questions to the existing K-POP system. The core issue is how our society will accept the personal "ego" existing behind perfectly coordinated choreography and refined images, as well as the "civil rights" guaranteed by the Constitution.

The recent social media remarks made by Super Junior artist and actor Choi Siwon, the subsequent violent reaction from the public, and the firm legal countermeasures taken by his agency, SM Entertainment (hereafter SM), represent the most symbolic incident suggesting that this fundamental question has finally reached its critical threshold. This report meticulously dissects the textual and philosophical significance of Choi Siwon's utterance and the public's violent reception of it, thereby illuminating the mechanism of indiscriminate character assassination perpetrated under the ideological facade of the "public figure."

1. Reconstruction of the Incident: Historical Inflection Point and the Multilayered Utterance of Text

1.1. The December 3rd Martial Law Incident and the Judiciary's Judgment

The origin of this incident runs parallel to the first-instance verdict on the December 3rd Emergency Martial Law incident, which left a deep scar and shock on the constitutional history of the Republic of Korea. On February 19, 2026, the 25th Criminal Agreement Division of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former President Yoon Suk-yeol to life imprisonment on charges of being the ringleader of a rebellion. The court clearly recognized his intention to paralyze the function of the National Assembly—the heart of the nation's representative democracy—by deploying military forces to blockade the legislature and attempting to arrest key politicians. Furthermore, the court defined the series of actions involving military mobilization as a riot, handing down a guilty verdict. This was the judiciary's severe and historic judgment on the supreme power's rampage and the destruction of the constitutional order.

In a democratic state, the crisis of constitutional collapse and its subsequent condemnation send massive philosophical and ethical ripples through all members of society. The public, as well as those in the culture and arts industry, cannot remain free from this macroscopic flow of history. Immediately following the judiciary's verdict, all discourse in South Korea—both online and offline—focused on the meaning of this ruling and the nation's future. It was within this explosive social context that Choi Siwon's SNS text was conceived.

1.2. The Evolution of Text and the Expansion of Philosophical Implications

Right after the verdict, Choi Siwon consecutively posted short phrases in Chinese characters on his personal social media (SNS), externalizing his inner thoughts. This process was not a one-off emotional excretion but rather demonstrated a highly intellectual intervention passing through the thesis, antithesis, and synthesis of thought. Initially, he posted the phrase "Incomprehensible (不可思議)" but deleted it shortly after. Subsequently, he posted a new phrase, "Injustice will inevitably perish (不義必亡)," and ultimately amended it to "Injustice will inevitably perish, crumbling like earth and shattering like tiles (不義必亡, 土崩瓦解)."

This textual evolution clearly illustrates how the individual named Choi Siwon digested and internalized the historical event of his time. The Chinese characters he selected are symbolic signs condensing thousands of years of Eastern philosophy and historical experience. "Injustice will inevitably perish" touches upon the core Confucian concept of "Righteousness (義)," declaring that the legitimacy of power stems solely from morality and the people (民本). This transcends shallow support or blind criticism of a specific political faction. As a citizen of a nation and a thinking subject, he captured the universally valid truth that injustice violating the constitutional order will, without exception, face the judgment of history. Such an utterance is the highest form of interaction an artist can have with society.

2. The Misuse of the 'Public Figure' Frame and the Violence of Digital Fascism

2.1. The Public's Arbitrary Interpretation and the Fetters of Partisan Dichotomy

However, in a South Korean society where mass culture is extremely commercialized and the political landscape is radically polarized, an artist's philosophical text is ruthlessly butchered by the consumer's ideology, regardless of its essential meaning. Choi Siwon's post was immediately branded as a "political message" due to its timing right after the former president's sentencing and the traces of deliberation left by multiple edits. While there was some evaluation on various communities and portals calling it a "remark of conviction," the vast majority expressed fierce concern and anger, claiming he "revealed political bias." Some public opinion even attempted to arbitrarily reassemble his past actions or acquaintances to force a dichotomous frame of being "Pro-Yoon" or extremely "Anti-Yoon."

What must be noted here is the Korean public's obsessive and narrow understanding of the word "political." In Korean society, the modifier "political" inherently signifies a black-and-white factional fight between right and left, conservative and progressive. However, politics originally encompasses all actions where members of the Polis engage in discourse for the common good. Criticizing an act that destroyed the constitutional order under the charge of rebellion by stating, "If it is not righteous, it will perish," is not the logic of factionalism, but the logic of common sense and constitutional defense. Nevertheless, the public insisted on dragging this declaration of universal ethics down into a partisan brawl, attempting to judge it by their own political standards. This is a severe misreading of the text and starkly reveals the intellectual poverty of Korean society, which reduces all social phenomena to taking sides.

2.2. The Ideology of the Public Figure and the Mechanism of Justifying Character Assassination

Following this political framing, the public began firing indiscriminate malicious comments and arrows of criticism at Choi Siwon. The unique mechanism in Korean society that grants immunity to this barbaric violence is the violent frame of the "public figure (公人)." Originally, a public figure is a limited concept referring to a person performing official state duties or holding public office. Yet, Korean society throws anyone who catches the public eye—highly recognized pop culture artists, sports stars, etc.—into this single melting pot.

This categorization harbors deep violence. The public blindly believes that because celebrities have gained immense wealth and fame through public adulation and consumption, their personal lives, as well as their political and philosophical egos, must be mortgaged to the public in return. Within this logical structure, an idol's personal conviction is demeaned as an "arrogant deviation," and philosophical thought as an "overstepping of bounds." When a specific artist's views do not align with the consumer's own beliefs, the public defines this not merely as a disagreement, but as "deception of the fans" and "forgetting one's duty as a public figure."

The malicious comment terrorism perpetrated on this psychological baseline is not criticism, but clear character assassination. Simply because an individual artist holds political inclinations, the public hides behind collective anonymity and does not hesitate to launch personal attacks, insults, and mockery. They mistakenly view themselves as righteous judges exercising consumer rights, but in reality, they are merely enjoying a cyber lynching that tramples upon human dignity by abusing the shield of the "public figure." This is an extension of Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon into the digital space. Millions of people become monitors, censoring every move and thought of the artist, creating a massive internment camp system that ruthlessly punishes subjects who stray beyond the scope of control.

3. The Contradictions of the Fordist Idol Industry and the Deterritorialization of the K-POP System

3.1. The Legacy of K-POP 1.0: Creatures Trapped in a 'Cleanroom'

To deeply understand the Choi Siwon incident from an industrial perspective, we must examine the trajectory K-POP has taken and the philosophical contradictions lurking beneath it. The "K-POP 1.0" era, which lasted from the late 90s to the mid-2010s, was a mass production system strictly based on Taylorism and Fordism. Entertainment agencies were massive factories discovering and nurturing artists, and the most important rules of this factory were standardization and flawlessness. These cultural products, branded "Made in Korea," were shipped to the market after years of communal living and training, equipped with perfect vocal skills, flawless synchronized dancing, and above all, "flawless morality."

In this rigid system, what was most suppressed was the artist's "independent ego." Because popular music is an extreme form of commercial art that must satisfy an unspecified majority, any sharp individuality or political/social views that might offend a specific group were treated as massive risks. Agencies locked idols in an ideological vacuum—a cleanroom—and idols had to be smooth mirrors, silently reflecting all the fantasies projected by the public. They were forced into the role of "dolls," dancing to set choreography and reading given scripts. The public, too, became accustomed to these Fordist products, perceiving idols not as personas with their own thoughts, but as flawless possessions purchased with their own money. The extreme rejection of Choi Siwon's philosophical utterance is rooted in the bewilderment and sense of betrayal consumers feel when a controlled creature, meant to remain in a cleanroom forever, opens the door and begins to shout at the world with its own voice.

3.2. Paradigm Shift: K-POP 2.0 and the Demand for Western Autonomy

However, the paradigm of the global content market is rapidly shifting in a direction that no longer tolerates this rigid system. Currently, the Korean entertainment industry has entered the "K-POP 2.0" era, moving beyond the export of artists to implanting the "K-POP production system" itself overseas. The girl group 'KATSEYE,' launched by HYBE in a joint venture with Geffen Records, or JYP Entertainment's 'VCHA' project, are litmus tests for this massive experiment.

Paradoxically, the core topic of the K-POP 2.0 era is the shedding of the "K" and the deterritorialization of the system. Moving past geographical and ethnic identities, K-POP is evolving into a "protocol" or "operating system (OS)" that creates stars. In this process, a fatal collision occurs with the Post-Fordist consumption culture of Western markets. The English-speaking global fandom is not attracted to perfection mechanically stamped out of a factory. They desire artists who possess an "authentic narrative"—who firmly express their own values regarding gender, race, politics, and social issues, and who find their own answers amidst hardship and conflict.

Facing the demands of this unfamiliar market, leading agencies like HYBE and JYP are discarding the strict "Disney Channel-style" control models of the past and undergoing painful structural improvements to grant "autonomy" to artists. They are exposing the raw competition and conflict among members through Netflix documentaries, staking their survival on proving that these artists are not "manufactured dolls" but "autonomous survivors."

3.3. The Scapegoat of Transitional Contradictions

Choi Siwon's situation is a condensed version of the era's contradictions forged right in the middle of this massive paradigm shift. The global fandom is enthusiastic about artists like Taylor Swift or Charlie Puth, who clearly state their convictions on political and social issues, considering this an indicator of a mature artist. K-POP agencies are also striving to cultivate the subjectivity and thinking capabilities of their artists to meet global standards.

However, domestic public opinion and the community ecosystem remain delayed in the sadistic possessiveness and puritanism of the past K-POP 1.0 era. While demanding world-class sophistication on stage, they enforce the subservience and silence of 20th-century emotional laborers regarding the artist's personal life and thoughts off stage. When an individual artist leaves a philosophical commentary on a constitutional crisis based on his intellectual capacity and humanistic knowledge, the public's inability to accept it—resulting in a witch hunt—represents a cultural backwardness that most severely obstructs the globalization of the K-POP industry.

4. SM Entertainment's Legal Response: Corporate Defense and the Restoration of Human Rights

4.1. 'Kwangya 119' and the Declaration of a Zero-Tolerance Principle

In the face of this madness-driven cyber lynching by the public, the actions shown by Choi Siwon's agency, SM Entertainment, are resolute, systematic, and highly suggestive. On February 20, 2026, SM officially announced the progress of their legal response regarding Choi Siwon through "Kwangya 119," an online reporting center established to protect artists' rights.

This announcement goes far beyond the evasive warning notices often issued by entertainment agencies in the past. Through its official statement, SM clearly defined the essence of the situation not as "criticism of expression" but as "malicious personal attacks," stating, "We have confirmed that malicious posts, including personal attacks and insults against our artist, are being written and posted continuously and repeatedly, and we are strictly aware of the severity of this."

The most notable aspect is their response method. SM stated, "Based on data collected through our own monitoring, we have closely reviewed the contents of the posts and attached images, and together with the law firm (Yuhan) Shin & Kim (Sejong), we have submitted criminal complaints to the investigative authorities regarding the confirmed criminal acts." Furthermore, they declared, "We are continuously securing evidence regarding acts of creating and spreading false information related to our artist on online communities and SNS platforms, as well as posting mocking and contemptuous remarks, and we plan to gradually expand our legal procedures after reviewing these posts."

SM's clear stance that they will "respond strongly with civil and criminal legal action without any leniency or settlement" perfectly strips away the cheap expectation of immunity that malicious commenters secretly harbor—the thought that "they will eventually forgive us because they are celebrities."

4.2. The Evolution of the Risk Management Paradigm and Corporate Social Responsibility

This demonstrates a stark evolution in the risk management paradigm of entertainment companies, moving beyond merely protecting their own celebrities. In the past, legal or PR teams at agencies would force their artists to bow their heads unconditionally before even checking the facts if they were caught up in political or social gossip. This was because the company's short-term image and revenue defense took precedence over the individual artist's human rights or the legitimacy of their remarks.

However, in the modern K-POP industry, where the center of Intellectual Property (IP) is focused on the unique narrative and mental health of individual artists, cyber violence stained with false information and mockery is a clear felony that destroys the company's most vital asset. Just as Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan is leading a paradigm shift in future industries amidst geopolitical changes, K-POP agencies must also establish a new paradigm that treats and defends artists as dignified human beings rather than consumables in a rapidly changing digital media environment in order to survive. SM activating its internal ecosystem purification system, Kwangya 119, and mobilizing a major law firm to enforce a zero-tolerance principle is a noble corporate declaration that they will not condone character assassination as collateral damage in business. They have realized that preventing the mental collapse of artists is the very path to enhancing shareholder value and ensuring the sustainability of the K-POP industry.

5. The Philosophical Imperative of Freedom of Expression and 600 Years of Introspection

5.1. Freedom of Expression as a Constitutional Value and the Foundation of Democracy

In a democratic state, freedom of expression is a core constitutional value that supersedes all other fundamental rights. It means the right for anyone to freely think and express what they believe to be right, as long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others. Even the rights exercised by the President, the supreme authority, are delegated by the people, the sovereign. A true democratic nation is completed only when the state serves the people like the heavens, rather than all citizens being subject to the control of power.

In this context, a society that only permits expressions that walk on eggshells around power or cater to the public's taste—an oppressive society where even a high school student's satirical artwork is surveilled to appease the powerful—is tantamount to standing on the shortcut to regressing into totalitarianism. Furthermore, how can it become the subject of mockery and character assassination when an individual borrows the wisdom of Eastern classics to leave a profoundly universal and ethical sentiment—"Injustice will inevitably perish"—regarding a historical incident officially recognized by the judiciary as a grave crime of rebellion? If he is treated as politically incompetent and forced into silence merely because he is an artist loved by the public, this is a painful reality proving that the democratic civic consciousness of our society has plummeted to a dismal level.

5.2. A Society Without Questions: Digital Barbarism Engrossed in "What is the Right Answer?"

Lurking heavily behind this tragic phenomenon is the modern individual's lack of humanistic knowledge and the paralysis of their ability to think. In this era dominated by AI and highly advanced information technology, we live amidst an endless flood of text, but we are losing the ability to critically read that text. The true protagonists of the future era are not those who are fed fragmented information and mechanically memorize "what is the right answer," but those equipped with the insight to prove "why this answer is correct" based on humanistic literacy.

The text "Injustice is bound to perish, crumbling like earth and shattering like tiles," thrown by Choi Siwon, was a weighty proposition asking the public fundamental questions: "What is justice?" and "Why must an unjust system inevitably collapse?" However, the vast majority of malicious commenters, rather than reflecting on the historical and philosophical meaning embedded in this text, blindly trusted, duplicated, and participated in collective lynching based on light, inflammatory interpretations (e.g., attacks on specific factions) thrown into their communities by someone else. The act of throwing stones at others while swept up in mob mentality, without establishing one's own standard of judgment, is a terrifying result born of intellectual laziness.

5.3. The Memorial of 1444 and the Online Communities of 2026

History often creates eerie déjà vu. On February 20, 1444, seven elite scholars of the time, including Choe Man-ri, Deputy Scholar of the Hall of Worthies (Jiphyeonjeon), strongly opposed King Sejong's creation of Hunminjeongeum (the Korean alphabet) and submitted a joint memorial under the pretext, "Do you intend to become barbarians?" This memorial starkly displays the worldview of medieval power holders who sought to control the people's thought and freedom of expression by monopolizing knowledge and information. King Sejong's revolutionary philosophy of creating letters so that any commoner could easily unfold their thoughts was such a great humanistic decision that, transcending 600 years, it is still applied today in the 'Cheonjiin' input method of digital devices.

However, in the digital space of 2026, where Sejong's philosophy has met technology and bloomed brilliantly, what spectacle are we witnessing? Despite possessing the perfect infrastructure of freedom to communicate with the world at our fingertips, the public is becoming the Choe Man-ris of the 21st century, attempting to censor the thoughts of others and silence them. This collective madness, which tries to sever a human being's social life based merely on the suspicion that they implicitly revealed a political stance different from their own, is no different from the barbarism of modern-day "barbarians" perfectly betraying the values of communication and coexistence aimed for by the philosophy of Hangeul. How are we to explain this severe contradiction where device technology has advanced far beyond 600 years, yet the philosophy of tolerance and coexistence towards others remains stuck at the level of a feudal era censor?

6. Conclusion: The Prophecy of the Fall of Injustice and the Restoration of the Artist as an Autonomous Subject

The phrase "Injustice will inevitably perish, crumbling like earth and shattering like tiles," left by Choi Siwon in the face of the verdict on the December 3rd incident, does not merely refer to the miserable end of the old power that destroyed the constitutional order. Expanded philosophically, it approaches as a stern metaphor warning that the ecosystem of flawed cyber violence, which tramples on the personalities of innocent others and suppresses freedom of expression, will also eventually have to collapse. Every power maintained by unjust oppression and violence—whether it is the physical violence of the state or the verbal violence of a majority public leaning on anonymity—is destined to shatter on the judgment seat of history without exception.

The conclusions drawn through a profound analysis of this situation can be summarized as follows:

First, no pop culture artist can become a trash can receiving the public's emotional excretion or a hostage in a partisan proxy war. Artists, too, are independent citizens with the full right to enjoy the freedom of expression and ideology guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. The act of indiscriminate character assassination using the excuse of being a public figure—just because an individual artist's political inclinations or philosophical thoughts differ from one's own ideology—is not legitimate criticism, but a despicable crime that undermines the foundation of democracy.

Second, the "firm legal response without leniency or settlement" shown by SM Entertainment to protect Choi Siwon is a new milestone in crisis management that the entire entertainment industry must emulate beyond just the agency. Systematic and zero-tolerance judicial punishment accompanied by law firms is the only effective means to awaken malicious commenters—who speed uncontrollably, drunk on mob mentality—to the severity of the law and to protect the agency's core value: the dignity of its artists.

Third, for South Korea's K-POP industry to overcome its Fordist limitations and truly settle into the global K-POP 2.0 era, an elevation in the consciousness level of the receiving public is desperately required above all else. There is a need for the virtue of tolerance—to abandon the violent possessiveness of treating artists like puppet toys to be controlled at will, and instead watch them grow into intellectual personas who agonize over their times and speak their own philosophies. K-POP can only gain sustainable vitality when artists who know how to ask questions are combined with a mature fandom culture that can ponder the essence of those questions together.

We are currently standing on a precarious inflection point where the era of barbarism intersects with the era of intellect. If we stand by and watch the reckless throwing of stones at Choi Siwon, our society will forever degenerate into a giant Panopticon prison, constantly walking on eggshells around others and forcing only silence. However, if SM's resolute action this time and the rational reflection of awakened citizens work in tandem, this incident could become a great philosophical turning point, breaking the chronic bad habits of the Korean mass culture industry and finally restoring the lost civil rights and dignity of the artist. Firmly believing in the historical insight that all unjust things will inevitably collapse, I look forward to the arrival of a healthy arena of discourse where truly autonomous subjects breathe and thrive.