Business Interests Clash With Legal Concerns as Alcohol Is Propelled Into the K-Pop Industry

Why Do Debates Rage About the Role of Alcohol in the K-Pop Industry? Photo: Shutterstock/Silvia Elizabeth Pangaro

If you’re tapped out of international pop culture trends, it’s difficult to describe the colossal size of the K-pop industry.

It’s a music genre that reportedly generates at least $10 billion per year for South Korea, and an industry that has given birth to numerous A-List groups that can sell out stadiums across the world in mere seconds.

Last May, smash-hit boy band BTS was even invited to the White House, little more than a year after they broke records by generating 108.2 million YouTube views within 24 hours for their single, “Butter.”

BTS at the White House in 2022.

Now, K-pop is a genre increasingly being courted by the alcohol industry despite legal and ethical reservations from a variety of pundits both inside and outside of South Korea.

Earlier this month, Lisa of BLACKPINK – the highest-charting female K-pop group in the world – launched a limited-edition scotch in collaboration with whiskey brand Chivas. Fans were overjoyed, but a variety of commentators moved in quickly to criticize the move. A lengthy article examining Lisa’s partnership with Chivas Regal even alleged, “Lisa does the dirty work for Big Alcohol.”

Lisa of BLACKPINK posing for Chivas. Photo: meaww.com

The main reason that K-pop and alcohol are such a controversial mix lies both in the genre’s audience demographic and the demographic of the groups themselves. The majority of K-pop fans are reportedly between the ages of 15 and 20. Meanwhile, singers are typically recruited for these groups around the same age.

The ethics of alcohol advertising within the industry has been the subject of much debate in South Korea. In 2019, the South Korean government even tried and failed to pass a law that would have banned celebrities from endorsing alcoholic drinks.

But this is not merely a story of legal hurdles. The larger story lies in shifting cultural attitudes, attitudes that are clamoring to see the personal side behind the squeaky-clean image of the world’s biggest idols.

On the rapidly growing YouTube channel “My Alcohol Diary,” famous K-pop stars are invited on to share drinks, eat food and play games with host Lee Young-ji around a candid dining room table. Since launching only four months ago, the channel has netted huge guests like Hoshi of boyband Seventeen, Hyungwon of Monsta X, and most recently, Jin of BTS.

Jin of BTS on “My Alcohol Diary.” Photo: Youtube/차린건 쥐뿔도 없지만

This is not the Jin fans know from the sterility of the White House nor the blinding lights of the concert stage, but a more personable one. One who can playfully banter or joke around after having a few drinks with friends.

Within the auspices of the K-pop industry just well as international pop culture at large, alcohol not only offers celebrities the opportunity to look cool, but to appear as one of us. It acts just as much as a pedestal as it does an equalizing stage.

It probably goes without saying that America too is inundated with endless celebrity alcohol sponsorships and candid interview drinking shows.

As celebrity drinking culture continues to evolve in unforeseen ways, it’ll be interesting to see the multi-faceted effect that alcohol continues to have on our perceptions of our favorite otherwise untouchable stars.

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