The Fight for Wonho and Why it Matters
On October 31, many international fans woke up to the shocking and unexpected news that beloved member Wonho had left MONSTA X. For Monbebes, it was impossible to fathom this sudden announcement, and things only got worse as more details came out. Since the announcement, fans have been fighting 24/7 to get him back onto the team, against all odds. At first glance to those on the outside, it may seem like a case of fans being unable to let go, but if you dig deeper, it becomes clear that this is much bigger than just a member leaving their group—this is about a toxic cycle in the K-Pop industry centered around the life-changing impact of rumors, companies refusing to protect their artists, and Korea’s tendency to dehumanize their idols.
A Quick Recap
News of Wonho’s departure came to light via a handwritten letter to fans in the early hours of Halloween in the USA. It didn’t take much longer for an official statement to be released from Starship Entertainment confirming the departure. Monbebes quickly revealed that the cause of Wonho’s departure was a rumor perpetuated by problematic former trainee Han Seohee, a girl with a reputation for causing significant problems for many male idols in the past (more on that later). The rumors have continued to spiral out of control, with Dispatch now joining in the noise. The allegations? Marijuana usage before his trainee days.
Monbebes both domestically and internationally have been working overtime since the news came out, with those in Korea standing outside of the Starship building and covering the side of the building with notes of support for Wonho. Monbebes continue to regularly trend different hashtags in support of both the group and the member as more news comes out of the rumor and of his contract termination (though it should be noted this information has not come directly from Starship thus far), along with planned protests of Starship both in person and online. While most fandoms in the past have quieted down a few days after the initial announcements, Monbebes are still going strong and are proving they’re in this fight for the long haul, with enough fighting spirit to possibly change the course of history.
The Root of the Problems
Han Seohee is a known problem among those familiar with the K-Pop landscape. In fact, many of us (including myself) don’t even want to bring up her name because it is well known that she thrives on media attention. Many have criticized outlets such as Koreaboo and Allkpop for consistently publishing her questionable behavior and shining the spotlight on her in the process. She has been an issue for many idols for years, including involvement in drug allegations against BIGBANG’s T.O.P all the way to the most recent downfall of iKON’s leader B.I; Seohee spearheaded the campaign against him by claiming to have been contacted to sell him drugs. On top of going after Wonho, she has also recently targeted MONSTA X’s leader Shownu by claiming he had an affair with a married woman. All of this comes simply from postings on social media.
Continuing Problems: Company Response
Ever since the explosive case of Burning Sun, the reaction that companies have toward scandals with their artists seems to be nothing but the strategy of cut-and-run. It could be argued that this began with YG Entertainment throwing B.I under the bus in a likely attempt to divert focus from both Burning Sun and mounting allegations against former CEO Yang Hyunsuk. JYP Entertainment also recently terminated the contract of Stray Kids’s Woojin out of nowhere with little explanation, leaving fans frustrated and demanding answers for what could be so bad that it would cause the sudden decision.
This point is only being driven home further by Starship Entertainment first allowing Wonho to leave the group without discussion of the other members, then continuing to push the decision by terminating his contract despite the backlash from Monbebes and other K-Pop fans alike. While agencies are supposed to protect their artists from unwarranted online attacks, there has been a significant failure in that department. October has been a tough month for K-Pop, with the loss of former f(x) member Sulli and more and more information coming out that her agency SM Entertainment did little to protect her from the intense wave of defamation that she faced from netizens.
In a sense, the case with Wonho is all of this tragedy and lack of proper action from companies to protect their idols reaching a climax and fans refusing to stand by as it happens once again. The loss of two major idols to suicide and three idols with destroyed careers based on rumors has caused the community to snap.
Changing History?
As Monbebes continue to fight tirelessly to return Wonho to MONSTA X, fans of other groups are taking notice and joining in to help the fight. It’s gotten to the point that it’s not just about MONSTA X; it’s about showing the K-Pop and media industry that we will not stand for this type of injustice towards our idols anymore.
Like most cultures, Korean culture has a fatal flaw that adds to the problems here. In Korea, “face” is incredibly important, and as such, many people do not outwardly express their frustrations with problems in their lives in order to preserve this face. That could contribute to explaining the startling wrath of Korean netizens who take to the Internet to target celebrities, driving them to the point of suicide and still refusing to stop even after deaths occur. This concept of face also puts a ton of pressure on idols to be perfect, a fact that is truly impossible for any human being. They then are relentlessly attacked when any sort of information comes out about mistakes they have made in the past, even if they were young and immature at the time or if there is a lack of proof that it even happened. Wonho chose to leave MONSTA X likely based on an emotional response and fear that his long past actions could affect the image of his group.
The response of fans is unprecedented, with the hashtags supporting MONSTA X and Wonho not slowing down for a second since the announcement. Silent protests are still being planned, with Monbebes refusing to give up even in the face of all of the bad news thus far. But the question still remains: will fans banding together be able to change the course of history? With such a deep-seated cultural problem at the root of this entire debacle, it still remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, this outlash against injustice is revolutionary, and with the fighting spirit the fandom has and the overall disgust of the community as a whole, there’s still a chance and a small hope that the community can change the course of everything moving forward.