From Fame to Fallout: 2025's K-Entertainment Controversies That Sent Fans Reeling!
- lewishooper1
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Unpacking the most significant cancel culture controversies and the lasting impact on the K-entertainment industry of 2025!
2025 had no shortage of K-scandals and cancelled stars. This article will focus on the year's biggest scandals and industry fallouts, which have left fans divided and groups running back to their agents! Let's take a look at Dojeon's top five!
First up on our list is the bitter, highly public corporate dispute between HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, which was escalated with ongoing legal battles and mutual accusations of poor governance and creative theft.
The Dojeon Team followed this journey very closely, especially when this internal conflict threatened the stability of the highly successful girl group NewJeans, as well as exposing the volatile power dynamics within Korea's largest entertainment company. The saga highlighted the lack of transparency and trust between corporate leadership and creative subsidiaries, though it eventually led to the court ruling in favor of the record label. And despite the girls' best efforts to break free, they had no choice but to see out the remaining term on their contract.
Several high-profile K-Pop groups, including Blackpink, faced renewed and intense international scrutiny regarding past instances of cultural appropriation and the use of racial slurs in their content, as well as on the red carpet. The Dojeon Team wrote about these controversies at the time, which led to intense discussions and divisions between domestic and international fan bases over where the accountability, education, and sensitivity actually came from here.
The incidents showcased the increasing power of global fandom to police social and ethical behavior within the industry. Having said that, the comments from some were bias and at the same time on the other hand, did the star really care, or was it the fans which blew the situation out of proportion?
Actor Kim Soo-hyun's Alleged Underage Relationship
Number three on our list, are the allegations which surfaced regarding Actor Kim Soo-hyun's past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron, specifically concerning the significant age gap when she was reportedly a minor.
This controversy sparked widespread public outrage over ethical boundaries and led to the actor losing multiple endorsements and project roles, and once the face of supermarket giant Homeplus, and other big name retailers. The actor was literally pulled from all sponsorships within a matter of days. This event triggered a massive public discussion about the legal and moral age of consent in South Korea, as well as globally thanks to social media with K-drama fans taking the lead.
Next on the Dojeon list, is the contractual dispute between the EXO sub-unit members (Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin) and SM Entertainment, who continued to expose deep-seated issues regarding artists' unfair profit distribution and contract duration, which sadly, seems to be all but too common in recent years. In this case, the idols sought an injunction, alleging restrictive conditions reminiscent of the long-controversial "slave contracts" of the past. This legal fight put renewed pressure on agencies to reform industry standards for artist treatment and compensation, however although it was dealt with, will it be enough to shape the industry long term? What do you think?
Last on our list is a scandal, which became a house hold taboo this year. The proposed survival show, Under15, was met with immediate and significant public backlash, resulting in its reported cancellation or indefinite postponement.
The main issue here were the concerns over the physical and psychological toll the competitive environment would take on pre-teen participants, as we have already witnessed the pressure that the industry can put on adults, sadly with some of them being unable to copy and committing suicide as a result. The public sentiment highlighted a growing intolerance for what is perceived as child exploitation in the hyper-competitive K-pop training system, and to date this topic continues to be a hot potato within many Korean homes. What do you think?
Which K-entertainment scandal took you by surprise this year? Comment below and let the Dojeon Team know!