Dear Readers,
We’ve decided to create an “Open Discussion Post” in order to stimulate debate, discussion and exchange of ideas among our readers.
Because in this place you can talk about different issues, it’s important to remind our readers that you must follow the rules in our blog (Read here).
More details:
- ODP will be posted every week starting from today at 12:00 PM EST Time Zone
- Since “Open Discussion Post” is created exclusively for debate, discussion and exchange of ideas, you must not spam here with daily pictures, polls, news, spazz, unless you use the news/picture for a discussion topic. But we recommend our readers to do that in GAPP.
- You can talk about different issues related to JYJ/Kpop/Kdrama/SM/AVEX and other themes here.
- If the comment creates fanwars between JYJ’s fans, it will be deleted by the Admins.
- Since we’re an english fansite, we recommend our readers leave their comments in english because it would be of great help in moderating the comments.
- Personal attacks are NOT allowed.
- No more discussions related to GAPP vs ODP.
- According to how things work here, we can increase the rules to maintain a healthy debate.
Thank you for your attention
JYJ3 Team
Posted In: ODP
Here’s to ~three weeks until the July 19th final decision!
Yup, let the countdown begin! I say we start party planning NOW!
i hope it will change a lot .. at least JYJ can appear in TV freely … just realize that JUNSU was like more often appear in my national TV .. hahhaa ,, not only because his Concert in indonesia but His Cincert in Seoul was also a news in my national tv
I saw JUNSU in Arirang several times and Tarantalegra in Pops in Seoul as well.
yaap .. i saw it too .. i remember when Tarantallegra aired my brothers were there too .. and I said .. he is the guy the concert i will attend ,,,,
@JYJhidupGw
Then what did your brother say?
how come a men use eyeshadow??? huaaa .. then i said.. its common in Korea ..
@JYJhidupGw
“how come a men use eyeshadow??? huaaa .. then i said.. its common in Korea ..”
Or, more accurately, it’s common among Jaejoong, Yuchun and Junsu in Korea. lol
last time i check Tarantallegra is on Pop Countdown (pops in seoul music chart) too
Hello all residents of jyj3,
Please allow me to introduce myself here as I don’t know exactly where I should post this.
My name is elan, I’m actually a very new fan of JYJ (in comparison to most of you). My first ‘encounter’ was their live performance in Busan last year, by chance, but I didn’t pursue any further till early 2012 that I found more and more of their videos (bless the internet!). And that’s what hooked me now! Your open discussion thread is superb! – though it gets so overwhelming I could not get involved in most of the discussion as I lack related knowledge. But, I’m slowly catching up!
Well, so, let me get straight to the point.
I’m doing my dissertation now and as I found myself getting more and more interested to JYJ, I do my dissertation on JYJ. Well, not really JYJ, but JYJ’s fans. You all know that there are controversies here and there around JYJ’s career, particularly speaking: musical. But their continual effort to please fans as well as to develop themselves (musically or in other field like acting) despite all happenings around them is perhaps what makes more and more people attracted to them.
So here I am, asking any of you who might be interested to participate in my research to get in touch with me (best if you have an account in YM: add me in clydecold_soda) – or we could do anywhere where you find most comfortable (or even here?). I’d love to have discussion with you guys so that I could have enlightenment, perhaps on the matter.
To start off, what makes you a JYJ fan (initially and later what makes you still a fan of JYJ — despite all the happenings with JYJ lately and the fandom)
Many thanks!
(to admin: you can delete this post if it’s inappropriate since I don’t really know where I should post this, peace!)
Cheers, Elan. I’d be happy to speak with you. My email address is lilibaiyu@aol.com Email me any time, I’ll get back to you.
@elan
I would gladly help you, just contact me on twitter @monmiracle2010, hopefully your research will be succes
Hello! It has been a very long time since I’ve commented on jyj3, but I still silently visit here everyday, several times a day!
Elan, I am very intrigued by the idea of your dissertation on JYJ/JYJ’s fans.
I would love to share my perspective on the subject with you if you are interested! (For the record, I consider myself currently a JYJ-only fan, though I was originally a TVXQ5 fan back when I discovered them around 2006/2007.)
I do not have a YM account, but I have twitter (@lovelygreenoak) and a gmail account.
If you are interested, please let me know which is a better way to contact you, and I will gladly share my experience as a JYJ fan!
Good luck with your dissertation~
@lilibaiyu — thanks a lot for your positive response, I’ll email you soon!
@ellyellyelephant — thanks for your interest, no YM account doesn’t matter for me. I can e-mail you thru whichever address you’d share with me, and we can discuss further.
@elan
You can email me at schenevert924@gmail.com.
Looking forward to speaking with you!
dear @elan
i would like to help you to participate on your research, but my english isn’t that good compared to other sisters here^^
but here’s my twitter account just in case you need it^^ (@kribo_goreng)
good luck for your research!
Hello, this sounds really interesting. Shoot me an email at nedragonst@yahoo.com (sorry the name is lame, had this e-mail forever) and I’ll reply back.
hi @astrid, thanks so much for your interest, if you don’t mind, do you have e-mail address?
and @jaime, I’ve just dropped an email for you..
hello ellan=) i’d be glad to participate in your research. you can ask me anytime at via email yasmine_fatima@yahoo.com or on my twitter @limciuye
@Elan
Hi there my friend, I’d like to join in your research.But since English is not my native language, I hope you don’t mind ~ but trust me I’ll try my best ^___^
Here’s my email :chunface17@yahoo.co.id
I have a question/possible discussion point for the ODP this week:
What would you do, how would you feel if Junsu ultimately decides “No, this is way too much fun, I love my solo experience too much, it’s everything I’ve dreamed of, I want to extend it and go solo permanently” ??
Now, mind you, I don’t think this is going to happen anytime soon. It is purely a hypothetical. But it is worth considering I think because if there was ever an artist who was fully capable of holding his own in a solo career it is Junsu. And yet, the benefits of being a member of JYJ are many and quite obvious to us all. First and foremost, because being a solo artist can be an incredibly lonely and unbearable pressure-filled life. Still, as an artist the benefits are there too.
So… what does everybody think?
@lilibaiyu:
i… don’t care? hehe. i’ll support all of the members after that (maybe, lol). and considering it’s jyj, they probably will come to that decision with much and much thought. of course, if it’s happened, i’d be disappointed, but i’d respect his decision. after all, it all depends on the guys. whether they want to pursue what they want in their live, or they want to pursue something together. it’s not a simple “brotherhood” thing, they can still be good friends even if they separate and do a solo career. but if they don’t want to pursue the same goal, going solo is inevitable. if that’s what going to happen with jyj, i have no problem with that, and i’m fully prepared with that.
however, if jyj want to stick as a group, all of them must have a goal of what they want they group to be remembered by people. i’ll take example of shinhwa (kpop idol group). yes they did have strong bonds between them, but i know they have a goal of what they want their group be: longest idol group ever, as simple as that. though i think they probably want to go the path smap (jpop idol group) go and i wouldn’t call that “simple”. and that’s, actually, what i still can’t understand about jyj. maybe i don’t read too much interview? don’t tell me jyj is only for the sake of brotherhood, because at the very least, they need to set a goal of their own group. and i still don’t know about that. maybe they’ve sorted it out themselves or maybe it’s just me who didn’t read from their interviews.
so yeah, if junsu want to pursue solo career seriously, or yoochun and jaejoong want to be a serious actor, maybe sometimes do an activity together in between, i have no problem with that.
@lili.. well, I will surely just accept Junsu’s decision/any of them if they choose to go solo. Since it’s apparently their own life, they should do whatever they want. As a plain music fan at the first place (before I put myself as JYJ fan), I will support them as group or as solo artist as long as they keep giving me their best quality and worth buying products, whether it is an album, a single, or their drama (since they’ve already extended into k-drama and k-musical).. That’s the ultimate reason I spend my hard earned money on whoever artist it is anyway. Although becoming a Korean boyband goup’s fan seems intimidating because sometimes I felt like “true fans were obliged to-on a full force mode-buy everything oppa throw to the market because I want my oppa to success” –thing influence me, I think I would still keep my sane point of view, before I decide to go to the store..
@noiha,, you keep throwing a good point to disscuss,, thanks.. I’d like to give my opinion as to what should JYJ aim to stick together as a group. Yes, I don’t think JYJ ever mentioned about it through their previous interviews. But could you please enlighten me about what do you mean by “smap way”? (since I don’t have much info about them). For me, JYJ or any other artist don’t need any reason/any goal to keep sticking together as a group as long as they don’t have internal conflict between the member. Why? Because it is not that important. They could work together as a singing group just merely for their same interest/passion to music as their main occupation. They don’t need to tell the people that their goal is “conquer the world” or something else. Westlife and Take That still works together as a group eventhough many years have passed and I don’t think they want to be remembered as the longest group in their respective country or any other reason, they just need and love working together… Things that would separate a group eventually will be age factor and family factor.
But you do have interesting point about the topic here. I am not going to call it an aim/goal, but I would call it as an image. People might still need some “special images” to be related to an artist in order for the artist to be remembered, and in addition to keep their name marketable for longer time. If ever JYJ wants to put an image on themselves as a group, God knows how much do I hope it would be as an acapella group. And for this long three years, I haven’t seen them performing acapella even once. I don’t know why they haven’t done acapella anymore since they do have the potential. Do JYJ simply forgot it or maybe because of some sensitive memory (or possessive fans) as “5 member”? I’m sorry if I unintentionally offend anyone here, but if the second one is the reason, I should say the past is the past, why don’t we move on and make this present times better by doing the best we can, and for JYJ to explore their best which is I still think it is in acapella?? Please share what do you guys think..
@ai uta: thank you. your post also bring many interesting point. ^^ hm, i’m not keeping track of westlife or take that so idk how they’ve been doing now. as for shinhwa doing “smap way” i’m talking about, it’s just my speculation actually. people know that they’re doing their best in variety shows, and this is what smap does with their smapxsmap for years. they’re doing their own activities (acting, album, etc) in between, but people will remember them forever as jpop idol group from their weekly appearance on tv. shinhwa is a good stage performers, but they’re imo better than any team other variety shows trying to offer. they’ve just started their own show and got good response so far, so… yeah, maybe i’m putting too much (or too low?) expectation on them, but i know i’m not the only one who think of them like this. and several interviews with them kinda make me think like that. ^^
and yeah, “image”, that’s what i’ve been thinking about. i’m not the only one who think junsu has different taste compared to jaejoong-yoochun right? about acapella, i’m not a music expert, but i think it’d be hard if there’s only three of them? most groups i know have at least four vocalists, so yeah, idk… i only want good music from them, i’m open to any genre as long as i can say “oh! this is jyj!” happily once i heard their song. something i still can’t do now. then again, maybe it’s just me. xD
like you’ve said, they can just continue doing what they’re doing right now. occasionally doing group activities in between their own works since all of them are so multitalented, and still keep the “jyj” name. and of course, their solo activities indeed helped to promote the group. however, if that’s what going to happen in the near future, that we’re going to get less group activities since all of them will be more passionate with their own works, i only hope us fans can do our best not to have another fanwars like before.
oot: younha’s album is going to be released next thursday. and i’m excited listening to the teaser! finally rock younha back! lol
Hmm Junsu being a soloist permanently?
Before answering that, and being a 6 years Xishpwa here, that question made me reminiscing old times,related matters (solo projects).
Even when he was in previous group, he already did 2 solo projects for SM. When helping Jang Riin, a Chinese artist under SM debut single Timeless in 2006. That was the time I fell in love with his voice in Timeless MV part 1,and he had not appeared yet. I knew how he looked from 2nd MV of Timeless.
.Then in 2007 I think,JS with BoA,Tablo,Jin Bora did Anycall CF. They even made a mini concert for. Anyband. JS sang 8 songs at that concert (1 solo, 1 duet with BoA,3 with TVXQ and 3 Anyband songs). YH asked JS,”In what group are you really?Aren’t you a TVXQ member or not?” I forgot what exactly the questions were, but more or less that what he asked.
I agree that member who is ready as asoloist, even from TVXQ era, would be JS. But current situation is very much different from that time. It’s not a question about readyness, talented enough, but it’s a matter of survival. JS has given statement such as;
- JYJ world tour gave him self-confidence
- Being blocked gave limited means to promote his album. He’s relying on social media to promote it
I had a talk abt it with my friend and we shared the same view that any JYJ solo projects is meant to maintain their existence in entertainmenT. Good thing is their type of solo projects are their own choice and always successful because they’re multitalented.
But going solo,even for Junsu, I don’t think it will happen even when the blocking ends.
Even if he goes solo, I will respect his decision. I still will follow him kkk
Gosh….. no… never…nunca… 절대, jamais, zettaini ariemasen…. dont ever do that….. I am JYJ fan and only JYJ… i have zero interest in k-pop or idol or whatever you call it… if they split, what would be become to me???? My life is over
I came to k-pop because of JYJ and I will end k-pop with JYJ.
Yes, that would be my answer. But then on second thought, it will never be about me… but JYJ. If, ever, the time come for them to pursue their career separately based on their interest, i am sure they would have thought, plan and discussed this very thoroughly. They have gone through everything together, so they would take everything into consideration. I would definitely be very sad but their life is more important. They are young so they have a long journey ahead of them. However, please let it be a bit later……later… because i would love to see them more established
and being recognized and have their freedom in Korea and worldwide.
I would of course will still become Yoochun, Jaejung and Junsu fans and will follow their journey wholeheartedly. Huh, huh, huh… then i would have to save and save and save a lot because instead of JYJ album, it will be cd of Yoochun, cd of Jaejung and cd of Junsu. Emmm… sigh…..
Thank you @lilibaiyu for making me very blue
No… i am joking. To be honest it does occur to me, especially after the last fans fiasco. I got tired because of that… so i keep thinking how did they really feel deep inside their heart….
@wanzhaf
“Thank you @lilibaiyu for making me very blue No… i am joking. To be honest it does occur to me, especially after the last fans fiasco. I got tired because of that… so i keep thinking how did they really feel deep inside their heart….”
Well, of course it’s all hypothetical so no one needs to feel sad.
As I said, there are so many distinct advantages to staying a member of JYJ and then taking solo forays off to do special projects from time to time. The members have all now demonstrated to the fandom that by their own agreement they have the freedom and the ability to do solo projects when they want to and the other thing that they have demonstrated clearly is that they fully support and are cheering on their fellow members’ individual activities.
members of pop group from any music genre or any country will grow older…and eventually must pursue their career be a solo artist ….and it’s not a bad thing…
speaking about karma… http://www.allkpop.com/2012/06/mbcs-variety-department-in-a-state-of-emergency
kbs 1n2d who once rating juggernaut (20-30%) now suffering at <15% is already surprising for me. i can't believe now even the mighty infinity challenge which has the most religious viewers suffering at <5%. it's not only about jyj, actually. these two stations, at least from what i saw the last two years, have been less friendly to their workers. well, that's what i personally felt, so idk. but yeah, since just weeks ago mbc did the filthy trick to viewers regarding yoochun's story, i can only say: KARMA is BACK! \m/
@noiha
Thank you for the article link. There was some interesting information, especially in the comments section. So, MBC is another network that is practically sponsored by the government. It’s no wonder, there is an issue of what gets disseminated and what doesn’t. When your govt. controls media, accurate and fair reporting and treatment becomes questionable. Yes, the strike is more about politics than pay.
There was so much included in the comment section, but suffice it to say, Yes KARMA IS BACK!
@butterfliesarefree2: “So, MBC is another network that is practically sponsored by the government.” — yup, indeed it is. the latest strike was mainly caused by their government manipulation in the news. kbs and ytn also suffered the same strike, though probably mbc is the one who suffer most. i quiet like “infinity challenge” so it’s kinda sad that it suffers a lot, but kudos to the PDs and staffs to stand up against their company.
here are some articles from back then if anyone interested:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2012/01/137_103350.html
another one: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/01/113_103760.html
The article from the Korea Times I had seen a while back. When there were issues about Chunnie’s being blocked, someone mentioned the strikes. I checked them out then. To be honest, I didn’t follow-up on the issue. But one thing is for sure, the more repressive the government gets, the more likely it will have a spill over effect. At some point the repression will have more negative outcomes.
Even if the ruling party kept it’s majority, I’m guessing they may have lost some % points. I’m still tryng to find info on what the gains/losses were after the spring elections. Leading into the executive election this fall, Pres. Kim has been practically dislocating his neck trying to appear more receptive to the ‘lower’ classes. If not for the fact of how sad this is for the population in general, it would be a hoot to watch his gesticulations.
Thanks for providing it though.
just want to share this article, maybe some of you have read this. http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/538053.html
it’s really sad knowing the staffs situation, i hope they can coup on with this. mbc is really sucks, kbs might be a jerk but they at least compromise with their workers. it looks like mbc didn’t have any intention to compromise and thinking they can still go on without their staffs. *sigh*
*cope
@noiha
” it looks like mbc didn’t have any intention to compromise and thinking they can still go on without their staffs. *sigh*”
Hmmmm…. now what other big entertainment company does that remind me of?? Ooohh, yeah! SM !
@ noiha
Thanks for all the articles. I heard about the strike a while ago but didn’t know that things have gotten so bad. I am rooting for the unionists and hope that they can somehow force the President of MBC to step down. Such a cosy relationship between leading Korean politicians and the chaebol elite is deeply disturbing. Freedom of the Press is needed for any legitimate democracy.
It appears that both sides are digging in and are unwilling to compromise on key issues. Wonder if they have tried to resolve their dispute through a formal grievance or arbitration process. Hope that the upcoming Olympics in London can somehow bring about a resolution.
@SFLily
“… Freedom of the Press is needed for any legitimate democracy…”
Well, this it the thing. More and more, I for one have grave doubts as to whether SK really IS a legitimate democracy or, from what we observe, if they are merely posing as one with admittedly very attractive window-dressing and P.R. to gain access to a greater market share from western democracies and of course the fabled largesse (or over-kill, just depending on who you believe) of the U.S. military to have their backs in case NK aggression becomes more than just saber-rattling.
Just thought I’d add in here that there are petition signings going on alllll over Seoul regarding the MBC situation. Like, it’s really picked up in intensity. People want its president behind bars!
Discussion? What would you do and how do you react to trolls when they bad mouth JYJ?
Example, right now, there’s this troll JPMethodMagic and STRAVDIUS @YT who’s trolling on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FtXsUS2v6I , bad mouthing JYJ and comparing them to Homin, cursing other jyj fans and so on. i’ve been hlding back, thinkin, its stupid for me to be bothered by trolls.. but at the same tme, i feel compelled to defend our boys… hmm..
And i’m really curious about trolls. sometimes they post numerous times all day long they look, looking for something bad to say, or to trigger something like a fanwar. what is their purpose? are they really that bored with their life?? i just dont get them.
@lily
It’s like anything else, there are trolls and then there are TROLLS. And opinion on definition can be subjective, but here goes…
I use the capital letters for the ones who are seriously into destroy JYJ mode. Those are the ones who pop up out of nowhere and make comments or create issues where there were/are none. To me a good example would be the nonsense about Chunnie/Jaejoong and the CFs. That was classic to me. I subscribe to the theory and I admit I have no physical proof, just my gut intuition, these folks are paid, at least a good portion of them are. I don’t for one minute believe LSM/SME ever intended to allow JYJ to function freely, unencumbered. They are suppose to murky the waters, make it hard for people to see clearly. In spy parlance they are called ‘moles’, work from the inside, undetected. It’s a tried and true mode of operating.
If you go around and look when the busy season for TROLLS occurs, it’s when something important, meaningful, or BIG is about to jump off for JYJ. These folks know there is a minefield out there that is easily manipulated and set to go off when needed. It happens time and time again. With emotions running high, that is when they strike.
It pays to think first when replying to these types of TROLLS because this is how the flames grow. The bigger the flames, the hotter the fire, the more damage is done. Just what they want to happen.
The ‘other’ kind, the lowercase ‘trolls’? These are the ones you are encountering on YT. You know what? My guess is these are the truly immature, infantile kind who really just enjoy getting a rise out of JYJ fans. Let’s be honest, if they are leaving ignorant remarks about any of the JYJ vids, who are they really making look bad? JYJ? I really don’t think so.
JYJ is a group with so much talent, people who check them out and appreciate talent, are going to do the side-eye thing about those comments. Because one thing is for sure, they certainly are not legit critics offering legit critiques. If all they are doing is blowing hot air, profaning, and saying stupid stuff to make themselves feel good; my guess is they are not impressing anyone who recognizes real talent.
And as for razzing JYJ fans… I would be inclined to give them a very big “YAWN”… nothing gets their goats faster than to be thought inconsequential. As the saying goes…”Dont’ feed the trolls.” JYJ fans should begin to batten down the hatches and keep in mind, the closer things get to a final decision, the more these folks want to irritate JYJ fans. I say let’s don’t give them what they want. Let them stew in their own venum, serves them right.
According to the WIKI
In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. The noun troll may refer to the provocative message itself
“Do not feed the trolls”
@noiha, thanks for the link. I would only have this word for them
Padan Muka, they really deserve it….
sorry, for butting in once again, but if any of you are interested to participate in my project (described above about JYJ fans) by taking part in this anonymous survey, I’d be glad to link you my survey. thank so much everyone! and sorry admin, if I’m spamming.
On being JYJ fan part 1: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MS3T297
On being JYJ fan part 2: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MSP8F9B
done it!
what type of dissertation are you doing?
i just completed both surveys and i hope my texts won’t be too boring because i wrote a lot
i also left my email
as for the rest, i wish you a lot of success on your project !!
DONE, woah i love all your questioner
Please I want to know the results of your research later
i answered ur survey.. the questions were interesting ^^
many thanks @lygg, @katy, @angelXia, @dalilone for taking the time to fill my survey, glad if you don’t find the survey too boring.
@angelXia, yep, I hope I can share the findings of my research with you, and everyone else who participate. I just need to find out how, but I guess it still takes some time to finish. So, pls be patience.
done
i just finished both survey
I just finished both surveys. I love the questions. They actually helped me put the feelings I’d had for so long about JYJ into actual words. Now, I know how to answer someone when I explain to them why I’m a JYJ fan. ^_^
thanks @miaw, @limciuye and @NatsukoSam (glad you find it useful for yourself too!)
and anyway, thank you for everyone who took the time to answer my surveys! and for admin to allow me to post my project here.
does anyone know what is our dear yoochun doing now??? he’s been MIA
Really miss YC. Hope he has a good rest with peaceful mind and heart. Looking forward to see his new project.
@Llee
I hope he’s at home, writing SONGS! And recording them! And vocalizing! That boy’s been absent from our airwaves for too long!!
Really looking forward for it.
his latest tweets seem sad, or probably missing his dad. but either way, like you and @lilibaiyu, I look forward to seeing his next project. and yep, I miss his work in music! so I secretly hope he’ll continue writing songs, and vocalizing to keep us amazed with his beautiful vocal.
This is my fav JYJ song In Heaven http://youtu.be/N_Y-1taZr1Q
Here is another http://youtu.be/M0VXTPWzxGA
if you like to watch k-dramas, you might find this site interesting. i’ve refreshed this site for days and i’m glad the writer wrote another article. this is a half-year report by him: http://dramatic.weebly.com/yeouido009.html
warning: lengthy post. do prepare for light flick on your favorite dramas (including “Rooftop Prince” and “Dr. Jin”)
There has been much discussion of late on the high suicide rate in South Korea and the causes of such actions. To me, it seems quite simple, life is hard, people can be cruel, and it’s sometimes difficult just to get through the day to day. There’s been talk that perhaps the bullying and social pressures that occurs in South Korea is somehow worse than any other country and that is why these suicides are so frequent.
I thought I’d share something that has been weighing quite heavily on my mind and shows how cruel people can really be, it’s hard to watch, I was crying by the end of it. This is a video of a women who works as a school bus monitor being bullied by “kids” and this occurred in the US. And I’m completely in awe of this woman that didn’t smack some sense into those kids.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E12R9fMMtos&w=420&h=315%5D
There was a global study conducted on the education system of various countries. Basic subject were covered such as Math, Science, etc. South Korea and Japan were some of the highest scoring countries and the US was one of the lowest. However, what was really intriguing, that of the students tested, a general survey was conducted and one of the questions was how well each student felt they performed during the tests. The US was the highest in confidence of positive test results while South Korea was one of the lowest. And I wonder if that low level of confidence is something that permeates through their whole life. Even if it’s not, academia is such a huge aspect of social acceptance in Korea that it’s easy to imagine the untold burdens that carries out through the formative years of adolescence.
So perhaps it’s not that people are especially cruel in South Korea, or that the government needs to step in to deter these occurrences, but rather it’s a product of the “better, faster, stronger” mentality ingrained in them and the lack of confidence that what they do is up to society’s par. I don’t see the government and society as the same entity and it is perhaps the responsibility of society to nurture their members to a more confident disposition, able to handle the cruelties and failures that life sometimes dishes out.
@MKverse
It is my understanding that the high suicide rate is not only a phenomena in Korea but all over developed southeast Asia and China. And while that maybe changing in some places it is still a remarkably stagnant situation in Korea and Japan. The blame settles on various social pressures. You see, Korea and Japan are community based societies where the individual is expected to adhere and blend to society’s rules and expectations. Straying from that and being ‘unique’ for a lack of a better word, is frowned upon. These are deep rooted beliefs that have been present for centuries and one should not expect the harmful aspects of such beliefs to change overnight without changing traditional cultural beliefs that are valuable to the people. The strict adherence to academia and appearances for example illustrates this very well. Of course there are other factors but for simplification reasons let’s just leave it as this.
But the main root of the problem is something else. It is the admonishment and ridicule people associate with mental health deficiencies. It is frowned upon and often believed to be unnecessary to seek help for mental health problems. Hence, individuals who really need it go untreated due to fear of ridicule from peers, family and society. Also, due to the lack of resources and education. For a society that is highly developed, it still lives in ignorance of the needs for mental health professionals and resources.
You may have a point. Maybe it is a Korean thing, b/c I am Korean and I have no faith in the effectiveness of mental health therapy. I have known people who sought treatment and found it to be a waste of time and I’ve known people who sought treatment and they became heavily medicated non entities, unable to interact on any emotional level. Now I’m not saying that’s the case resoundingly, just that’s been my limited experience with such treatments.
But the US military also suffered similar problems with it’s mentality that mental health, ie PTSD, was not a legitimate ailment and suicide rates while deployed were sky high. Since they have addressed the issue and implemented programs for treatment, suicide rates have taken a significant drop. However it has yet to be studied whether those drops occurred because the program was able to identify individuals who could not handle a deployed environment and removed them from the environment or if the programs legitimately helped individuals enough to cope while completing their assignments.
From what I’ve experienced in Korea, society seems to reject mental therapy not for it’s questionable validity, but because of the appearance of “dirty laundry” so to speak. There is a strong sense of familial pride and anything that could potentially bring shame to the family name is considered wrong. A child spewing forth the inner workings of his or her family dynamic and internal struggles during therapy to a complete stranger would be unacceptable. I was always told that if I couldn’t be perfect, I should at least give the appearance of being perfect.
Yes, I agree. I think it is the ‘dirty laundry’ aspect of it all. I can relate to that. Validity like with any science can either be right or wrong depending on your point of view. Who seeks treatment? Where? When? And for how long? Finding the RIGHT kind of the help takes time and experienced/highly trained professionals. It’s sad to say but just because someone has a fancy degree giving them a title it doesn’t mean they are able to help everybody. Just like there are good doctors and bad doctors, therapists are subjected to the same criteria. The thing about dealing people’s mental health is that a therapist has to be culturally sensitive. Especially in the U.S. Which isn’t always available. Most mental health research that’s widespread and mainstream only applies to the mainstream audience, Caucasian individuals of a certain age.
I’m from the US but I was raised biculturally. Both of my parents are immigrants from Mexico. And I grew up going back and forth between both countries. And let me tell you, discussions of mental health issues don’t go over so well in the Mexican culture either. While cultural values are somewhere between the individualistic and community based traditions, pride and so called ‘healthiness’ are BIG. Like HUGE factors that play against the mental health community. However, while positive sentiments maybe growing toward seeking mental health help as a still developing country Mexico lacks the resources. Plain and simple, there are not enough resources to fit the demand. IF Korea were to invest in the mental health field I think the first thing that should be done is to train individuals and develop facilities. They may not be perfect but making it available and so called mainstream, is a start.
Maybe there is a way to develop treatment that is in a way acceptable and culturally specific to Korea. So people wouldn’t be hesitant to seek help. Just because psychology is a western term it doesn’t mean it can’t evolve or doesn’t already exist in some form in other cultures. After all, it is a science that involves the abstract and malleable.
P.S. My best friend is Korean and she talks about that whole “dirty laundry” aspect as a cultural belief. So I think I understand what you mean by it. It’s also crazy the parallels we find between both of our cultures. I think it’s because of that, that we get along so well and complain about the same things when it comes to family and such. However, if we were to live in our respective ethnic countries we also recognize there would be a huge gap between us and our cultural beliefs based on social class. Middle class in Korea and middle class in Mexico are both completely different, just like those two levels are way different than the middle class of the US. Which is another reason why western US/European psychology does not translate all that well too other cultures. Especially community based cultures where class can change people’s priorities, values and faith.
Here is a link that might be useful to you. It’s an unfinished project but it really does show some valuable points. I think because the interviewer is their own age, students open up quite easily.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/426179_10150905741267960_48041411_n.jpg
So apparently, SME is selling JYJ represented goods during their I AM promotions in Japan. Please, someone tell me that’s illegal? I can recognize some of the photos from their TVXQ days and I guess they could get away with using those [even though I know for sure they are not supposed without JYJ's permission] but there are some clearly JYJ branded pictures in there. That can not be legal. At all. –__–
is this happened recently???? :O
As recent as those promotions were. I saw the link in another site and it was just posted today. I’m not from Korea or Japan so I’m not too familiar with the legal rights over there. Hence why I’m curious.
it is legal if JYJ images were taken during JYJ’s SME period. But it is just low and sensitive
As recent as those promotions were. I saw the link in another site and it was just posted today. I’m not from Korea or Japan so I’m not too familiar with the legal rights over there. Hence why I’m curious.
from the Korea Times : Agencies will take steps to protect teenage entertainers
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2012/06/135_113669.html
Entertainment agencies will work out guidelines to protect the basic rights of teenage entertainers and those who aspire to become entertainers.
Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Kum-lae met officials of five major entertainment agencies in Seoul Friday and discussed ways to protect teenage entertainers and those who wish to become entertainers.
Among those present at the meeting held at the Korea Press Center were officials of JYP, Cube and Can Entertainment.
A ministry official said participants expressed concerns that many allegedly suffered from extortion of money and harsh treatment.
They stressed the need to map out guidelines to provide young people with proper information on entertainment agencies, and prevent inappropriate treatment and infringement on human rights, the official said.
He pointed out a typical fraud that a person, who calls oneself an entertainment agency official, recruits aspirants through the so-called “street casting” and has them register with hagwon where monthly fees amount to hundreds of thousands of won.
An entertainment agency official said, “Our agency has never demanded money. But there are young people who have no idea about this and become victims of fraud.”
In recent months, sexual assaults against teenage entertainers and those who wish to become entertainers have triggered a backlash.
About 10.3 percent of entertainers and aspirants for the job said they had exposed their breasts, according to a 2010 survey of 103 entertainers and aspirants which was conducted by the Youth Policy Analysis and Evaluation Center. Sixty percent of them said they were forced to do it by agencies.
About a half of teenage entertainers and aspirants questioned said they were asked to get their weight down and deprived of rights to study, the survey said.
@meme&JYJ
WHAT an interesting development! Hmmm…. I will have to think on this. Of course the cynic in me immediately thought of it being a smokescreen for SM to deftly skirt around, ala “WEEE would never exhort money from teen-agers!”
Still, the timing of this is sooo interesting. Anybody else have any thoughts?
errrr please don’t hit me cuz i dunno if anyone ever discuss this but does anyone here who thinks that JJ looks like a mixed-race-boy? or is he?? or am i being delusional? i desperately need an enlightenment here =))
mmh i never think about that, it never crossed my mind. But i am curious which race do you think he is mixed with?
ummm i think he looks a lot like white/asian mix, no?
lol this is funny because my friend is also convinced Jaejoong is mixed race (w/ Caucasian) and no matter now many times I’ve told her he isn’t, every time she see’s his pics she says he looks mixed race. She says she doesn’t know what it is about his face, maybe the eyes. Even in his baby pics, she says he looks mixed race. Example, this one: http://www.asianpopcorn.com/battle_images/baby_jae_joong-200906250137523.jpg (SN: he looks soooooooo cut…e here!!I I just wanna squish his cheeks lol)
@Rocky
I’m also pretty sure there are no Caucasians in Jae’s background. He is Korean. What I will say is that he is one in a trillion, where all the elements of perfection came together in a veritable Big Bang of colliding gorgeousness. He IS, beyond any doubt, the most beautiful man in Asia and if there is ONE thing I mean to do before I die it is to have him universally known as just that.
@lilibaiyu
“he is one in a trillion, where all the elements of perfection came together in a veritable Big Bang of colliding gorgeousness” <<<<<THIS
touché. i couldn't agree more. JJ is indeed one of God's masterpiece=)
He probably does have some Caucasian in him but it must come from an ancestor thousands of years ago. Other than that he is strictly Korean. In Anthropology I learned that everyone in the world is basically mixed since we all came from the same place, Africa. Many people of various skin colours migrated out of Africa because the sun was too much for them. That’s why further north and south you see people with paler skin than those that live closer to the equator. Even though people say they are pure whatever ethnic background, they technically aren’t because somewhere down the line someone in their family is of another ethnic backround.
At first sight, Jejung look very Japanese, then later, I felt he look like an Eurasian cos’ he has deep-set features. (C’mon, and he look so splendid in blond hair!)
‘At first sight, Jejung look very Japanese’
that was my first impression about him till i thought that he really a Japanese one and sometimes i still believe it when i saw some his picture.
I don’t know if this is relevant to the topic/forum or not, but I’m live in Austin, Texas.. I had lunch at a Taiwanese restaurant which sells bubble tea. I’m a regular here, so it was kinda shocking to me that today, I saw a bunch of African-American girls came in and ordered some bubble tea. I go there almost everyday for years and I never saw them. To add to my surprise, they were talking about… NONE OTHER THAN OUR JAE JOONG!!! LOL this was the most epic moment in my life IMO
One of the girls were showing her friends JYJ’s video and they also said some Korean words such as “oppa”, “kamsahamida”, etc..
Now, Austin is not a big city, nor it is located near Los Angeles, San Francisco, or New York, this is a place where all the hipsters live. Asians are kinda minorities here.. So, to see some African-American teenagers talking about K-Pop is…….. showing how famous our boys are!!
I’m so happy to experience this today that I have to tell you guys
ooops typo! *I live in Austin
@petdino
“I don’t know if this is relevant to the topic/forum or not, but I’m live in Austin, Texas.. I had lunch at a Taiwanese restaurant which sells bubble tea. I’m a regular here, so it was kinda shocking to me that today, I saw a bunch of African-American girls came in and ordered some bubble tea. ”
How delightful that you are from Austin! I have relatives there. I’m one of those hipsters from Los Angeles. lol I envy you your Taiwanese restaurant. I haven’t found a good one where I live in the San Fernando Valley. Does anyone know of one?
LOL… you should come here and experience Austin!
I’ve been to LA once and I really envy you for having Half n Half Tea House there 
lilibaiyu, this is a pretty decent Taiwanese restaurant in my opinion (unfortunately not exactly in SFV), but it’s more hometown cooking from the middle part of Taiwan (Taichung) The three cup chicken is just heavenly to me. They are happy to skip the MSG if you ask them to as well (except for some pre-made dishes I think)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/happy-garden-alhambra
@Emma Lin
“http://www.yelp.com/biz/happy-garden-alhambra”
It looks terrific! it’s about 20 miles or so away from me but it looks like it’s definitely worth the trip. Thanks!
“So, to see some African-American teenagers talking about K-Pop is…….. showing how famous our boys are!!”
I don’t know about the Austin population, but it’s not shocking to me. I was at both JYJ concert in NY and NJ and there were a lot of black people. Even when i watch fancams of kpop artists outside of asia there are a lot of black persons at the airport or the concerts venue. Well actually this just show that JYJ has fans of any race
and i’m sure it’s the case even here in jyj3.net.
so lovely, everyone appreciates true artists