Recently, former LOONA member and current ARTMS member Kim Lip appeared on the YouTube channel of MOMOLAND’s JooE. This appearance of Kim Lip has gained significant attention for her comments about the prevailing double standards and the issue of misogyny in the K-pop industry.
In particular, the female idol pointed out how there are different expectations for male and female idols, with the latter “having it much harder”,
“Female idols always have to be just pretty. But male idols can get mad, laugh, be cute, and do all kinds of things”, Kim Lip said, adding, “That’s why I would have liked to be a male idol. But since I can’t do that, I gotta work hard.
As a snippet of Kim Lip’s appearance was published on the SNS platform X, it quickly went viral, earning sympathy from various netizens and fans alike. These people also pointed out various examples for female idols getting hatred over the most minute issues, while male idols can still be active despite criminal-level controversies.
“Isn’t it crazy that we have so many female idols who speak about their firsthand experience facing double standards in the industry & yet people still try to deny that such a double standard exists?”, a fan said, while another wrote, “Of course female idols still laugh, act cute, or get angry, They’re human. What she’s saying is that the expectations put on them make them feel they can’t behave certain ways, because people are more critical towards women. and if you don’t understand that, you’re being purposely dense.”
In fact, feminism and misogyny have always been a focal topic in Korea, with gender inequality showing an alarming surge.
