Lee Hyori Says She Feels Sorry For Junior Idols

Former Fin.K.L member Lee Hyori feels sorry for the current crop of K-pop idols. The singer who is gearing for a comeback after four years said that the current music industry is not the same playing field as it was during their time.

According to a report by All Kpop, Lee Hyori appeared recently as a guest for "Newsroom" where she was asked about the difference between first generation idols to which she belongs and the current crop of junior idols.

Lee Hyori said that compared to the more relaxed atmosphere that original idols enjoyed, the competition is now fiercer because of the advent of social media. The singer said that because every little thing is scrutinized by netizens nowadays, idols find it harder to act freely for fear of criticism.

"Idols nowadays don't have a place to hide, people see every little thing that they do, and the competition is a lot fiercer. For example, when I go to the hair salon the idols' faces look very dark compared to their bright happy faces on broadcast, and they often appear down and lack energy," Lee Hyori said. "They also train for a very long time and get criticized and then they receive even more criticism after they debut so I feel bad for the idol groups."

While social media has a downside as Lee Hyori suggested, it also worked in favor of many current idol groups and allowed them to penetrate an international audience. With the case of BTS, the wide reach of social media and streaming platforms has allowed their music to reach ARMY, their official fandom from around the world and introduced their music to the wider market.

In a previous interview with BTS leader Rap Monster, he credited their international success to these online platforms. He said because their music is widely accessible via Youtube and they are active users of Facebook and Twitter, they are able to touch base and connect with their fans.