[Heo Young-ju Column] The Gains and Losses of Celebrity SNS Communication

SNS is a means of communication, but it can also be a stumbling block.
Financial losses for entertainment agencies and individuals.
An unspoken SNS warning issued in the entertainment industry.

Recently, from the 'It's fun' controversy involving Han So-hee, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Hyeri, to Kim Sae-ron's photo upload hinting at a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun, and Hwang Jung-eum's frank disclosure of her divorce and public criticism of her husband, numerous controversies and issues have arisen in the entertainment industry due to SNS.

These numerous controversies and issues have brought the 'advantages and disadvantages of SNS communication' back into the spotlight.

For Hwang Jung-eum, SNS communication proved to be an 'advantage'. She hinted at her husband's infidelity as the reason for their divorce, seemingly liberated, and publicly displayed her husband's photo on SNS, actively engaging with malicious commenters. The public responded positively to her confident and courageous stance.

The public reacted with comments like, “Wow, it's so refreshing! She's amazing! It feels like she's changed divorce culture. It's revolutionary.” They cheered her on for her head-on approach. As a result, she appeared on SNL, parodied her own SNS posts, and ushered in a new era of popularity.

On the other hand, the 'It's fun' controversy involving Han So-hee, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Hyeri ended in a disastrous outcome. The controversy began when Hyeri responded with 'It's fun' to rumors of a relationship between Han So-hee and Ryu Jun-yeol, and escalated when Han So-hee responded, 'I find it fun too'.

This was initially a harmless, cute incident. Han So-hee should have stopped there. However, she repeatedly posted and deleted rebuttal messages while expressing unrefined emotions, and continued with public criticism, causing displeasure among many.

As a consequence, she lost a great deal. Compared to the damage to her carefully built image caused by the breakup with Ryu Jun-yeol, it's safe to say it was nothing. Due to this incident, she became a laughingstock, if only temporarily, and also lost a film role she was set to star in with Ryu Jun-yeol. SNS communication became a 'disadvantage', hindering her progress.

Ironically, Han So-hee was an entertainer who had benefited greatly from the 'advantages' of SNS communication. She had been a 'communication icon', fostering a fanbase through close interaction with fans not only on Instagram but also on Naver Blog.

The SNS communication that had helped her rise to fame ended up hindering her progress – it's truly 'interesting'.

From this, we can learn that while SNS communication for celebrities can yield tremendous benefits if done well, if mishandled, it can lead to controversies and public criticism, resulting in financial losses for agencies and individuals.

The most significant takeaway from this incident for me was the need for agencies to manage their artists' SNS accounts to protect them.

As a former idol, I used SNS under the supervision of my agency during my career. I always had to get my posts approved by the fan manager before posting them. At the time, it felt restrictive and I was constantly dissatisfied.

However, observing these incidents has made me realize that agency supervision of SNS wasn't about suppression, but about 'protection'.

The so-called 'bullying incident' involving T-ara, a group who was signed with the same agency as me, was also a massive consequence of SNS. It took only 3 seconds to post something on SNS, but it resulted in company employees not receiving their salaries for 3 months. The company faced severe hardship, and those who posted were subjected to intense public criticism and faced a barrage of attacks.

Having witnessed this firsthand, I now agree that it is beneficial for agencies to 'manage' their artists' SNS accounts to protect both the company and the artists, although I disagreed in the past.

Han So-hee's agency, 9ATO Entertainment, also acknowledged its responsibility for the incident and apologized, stating, “Han So-hee has caused difficulties for herself and the public due to her personal emotions. Her communication methods were not appropriate. We sincerely apologize. We are ready to accept any criticism. Above all, the agency bears significant responsibility for not taking good care of the artist. The agency failed to play its role as a support system. We are reflecting on this and will strive to improve.”

Secondly, through this incident, I realized that celebrities who want to communicate through SNS must be able to 'understand the public'. While it's understandable to have difficulty maintaining rational judgment when emotions are running high, celebrities are individuals who get to stand on stage thanks to the public's interest and love. Therefore, they need to step back from their emotions, understand the public, and continue communicating.

Finally, if you feel that you lack 'mature communication skills', I recommend using SNS as a profile or portfolio rather than a communication tool. Alternatively, if you lack confidence in all of this, I also recommend avoiding SNS altogether. Understand your own tendencies and make a wise choice.

The advice from wise individuals to 'choose your words carefully' was correct. Han So-hee suffered greater losses than Ryu Jun-yeol, who remained silent. We are reminded once again that the person who speaks the most suffers the greatest consequences. Talking too much can easily reveal flaws, and excessive emotional expression can easily make one look foolish. Let's take heed of the advice of the wise to choose our words carefully.

Sometimes, when I see Facebook's 'On This Day 10 Years Ago' posts, I feel like I want to hide in a hole. I imagine many others feel the same way. The reason we hesitate to open Cyworld is because our embarrassing 'dark pasts' are probably abundant there. Sometimes I even wonder if the act of living is nothing more than creating a 'dark past'.

We are all flawed humans. There's no such thing as a perfect person. Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes gets emotional. Through these incidents, the public may have realized that celebrities, who seem flawless like angels, are also just 'human' like the rest of us.

So, I want to say, please be lenient, but the professional world is very unforgiving. Han So-hee lost endorsements and her next project. The impact of those three words, 'It's fun', was too great for her to handle alone. But as a communication icon, we look forward to her comeback.

It is said that an 'SNS warning' has been implicitly issued in the entertainment industry. While there are clear advantages and disadvantages to celebrity SNS communication, this incident should serve as a reminder to be more cautious about the potential disadvantages when engaging in SNS communication.

※ The author of this article is the original writer and an article contributed to Woman Economy Newspaper.