K-Pop stars have spoken about the pressures of the industry, the intense work, and strong stigma against mental health problems. In an interview with CBS Amber Liu, a member of the band f(x) revealed how artists are pressured to be perfect in everything from looks to performance. “If you aren't under a certain weight, you can definitely get cut. You're told what to do, what to say, what to think".
Liu’s former band member Sulli, whose real name is Choi Jin-ri took her own life in October due to depression caused by cyberbullying. Sulli, in 2017 became the most Googled person in South Korea, surpassing even the country’s president Moon Jae-in. A month after Sulli killed herself, her friend and fellow colleague Goo Hara also took her own life.
Amber Liu said there is a strong stigma against mental health problems in the K-Pop industry. "When (people) hear you're getting help they're like, 'what? Why are you getting help? That's weird.' That stigma against mental health is just so strong", Liu said.
Alexaundra Christine Schneiderman, who performs under the name Alexa, told CBS of the challenges she faced reagarding the particularly unsustainable workload as she revealed that filming of her debut video took 48 hours. "The music video took two days to film, 24 hours each day, almost", Alexa said.
The artist also spoke about how K-Pop artists are put on pedestals, pressured to be perfect. "I myself have struggled with self-confidence for years and finding the capability to love myself, but I have recently stumbled upon that", Alexa said.
