An increasing number of celebrities have started to use social network services, and some are even being christened socialtainers and politainers for their use of the services. Many hallyu stars, however, have recently been moving to China’s Weibo or local fan cafes rather than continue using Twitter, which is more popular in Korea.
Lee Hyori, Kim Je Dong and Kim Mi Wha are some of the forerunning socialtainers in Korean showbiz. Many celebrities are following in their wake, setting up Twitter accounts and trying to communicate directly with their fans.
Recently, however, more hallyu stars have been saying no to Twitter in favor of China’s Weibo or other local fan cafes. Jang Keun Suk, Han Chae Young and Choo Ja Hyun are some of the biggest examples.
Jang Keun Suk used to be one of the biggest figures on Twitter, with more than 250,000 followers. In November 2011, however, he left Twitter saying, ‘I can’t stand the misinterpretations anymore’. He returned to Twitter a month later, but his passion toward the service has certainly dwindled down.
He currently frequently communicates with his fans through his Jang Keun Suk smartphone application and his Japanese fan café, only making brief appearances on Twitter once every few weeks.
Han Chae Young also gave up on Twitter. She used to spend time with her fans directly through the service, but after a photo she tweeted as a New Years’ greeting in January showing her in her Lamborghini sparked a sudden controversy about her spendings, she left the world of Twitter for Weibo.
Choo Ja Hyun, who was embroiled in a controversy about her Hanbok nude photos released in China, is also concentrating on Weibo.
An official from an entertainment agency said about the issue, “There are so many ways they can spark unknown controversies on Twitter in Korea. Once such a controversy starts, the aftermath is too great. They can’t help but be pressured by it.”
Foreign services such as Weibo are seen to be different. Small problems rarely lead to big debates like they do in Korea, and more than anything, there are more favorable comments than bad ones. Because of this, hallyu stars who can converse in local languages are moving to relatively light and pleasurable foreign social networks.
The official added, “Celebrities are human beings. They want to be cheered for rather than insulted. I think they’re moving to foreign social networks because it’s less burdensome and they can receive more support.”
Photo credit: Kim Byung Kwan
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