Key East and Kim Hyun Joong; Will there be an Official Break? Will Fans be left Wondering? Or is Their Silence an Expression of Cultural Expectation?
As we have watched the last four months unfold into our worst nightmares for Our Only One Kim Hyun Joong, we are faced with the glaring fact that his Agency, Key East, seems to have no intention of continuing to support their Shining Star and Biggest Asset. Stone Wall Silence is the only consistent response from the agency that was basically launched by adding Kim Hyun Joong to their roster in 2010. At that time, the fledgling company only had two big names on their payroll: Sunbae and Hyung Bae Yong Joon and doensang Kim Hyun Joong. BYJ and KHJ were seen as being very close in the beginning of their business relationship born out of a friendship developed during Kim Hyun Joong’s SS501 days when he spent a good deal of his time in Japan. He met and befriended BYJ just before his contract with DSP came to an end. He was in the right place at the right time for Key East, and they owe their success to him, in my opinion. There were no other big names on their roster until just last year, and Kim Hyun Joong is undoubtedly their top grossing Artist. As we have watched this scandal play out and witnessed the after effects, Kim Hyun Joong’s Brand Power has seemed to be of of little consequence to Key East at all now that he has been given a Scarlet Letter by a JEALOUS EX. In the public eye, it seems they have left him tied to the stake to be burned alive like an accused Salem Witch in the famous story The Crucible.
The trust he had with his Agency seems to only be like a Good Weather Friend at this point as they have been maintaining their silence and making no effort to protect or defend their Cash Cow. The recent removal from Key East’s Official page of his World Tour 2014 Video was the last straw for some fans and pledges to ban the page were flying around our social media interactions. I do not agree with banning anything or anyone who is still Officially Associated with Kim Hyun Joong. Even if we don’t agree with their methods, they are still his Official Agency and control his Projects and Public Appearances. We need to continue to show them our support until they are no longer representing him to keep his opportunities open. The million dollar question is: Is their relationship truly over? Or is there something going on beneath the surface we are not understanding?
It seems Hyun Joong has been abandoned to the mobs screaming for blood and claiming he is no longer worthy to be allowed any Public Appearances. The Irresponsible Reporting Practices of the South Korean News and Internet Media Outlets had labeled him in their Headlines as a Domestic Abuser guilty of Assaulting his Girlfriend long before a fair hearing could be held by the Police Department. The public jumped on the bandwagon and began leaving nasty hateful comments anywhere online they could find his name mentioned causing great emotional trauma for his loyal and loving fans. Even after the conclusion of the case, and nearly three months have passed, they continue to plague us everywhere we go to enjoy his videos. I am still getting notifications on YouTube videos where I responded to hateful comments in his defense. The picture painted in my mind is very similar to The Witch Trial Test of tying a rock to the accused person’s neck and throwing her into a well. If she sank, she was not a Witch, but dead none-the-less. I f she had the misfortune of surviving, she would be burned at the stake. It seemed people were ready to believe the worst long before Kim Hyun Joong even told his side of the story damning him to a guilty verdict in their hearts and minds no matter what he had to say about the situation. If he owned up to any physical confrontation, he was a Woman Beater. If he denied it, he was obviously a Liar.
Shaky evidence presented by his Accuser caught on like viral wild fire on the Internet and people had already tied that symbolic rock around his neck and tossed him into the water to drown before he could open his mouth to say anything. When he was finally able to give a statement, his transparent honesty unfortunately damned him even further, and he has now been burned at the stake over semantics. Hyun Joong admitted to a Physical Confrontation and an accidental rib injury that happened while the couple were horsing around. By the time he was able to make this statement, it did not really matter what he said happened. The people had already made up their minds and the Media did nothing to retract their hasty words. An entry was even placed on his Wikipedia page stating he had been accused of Assault and the administrator refused to remove it even after the Police and the Victim dropped the charges. The one count of Bodily Harm he was indicted on was enough ‘factual evidence’ for them to keep the entry. Assault is an ugly word, and it will be stuck to him forever now. So tragic and heartbreaking for such a kind, honest and beautiful soul. My heart breaks to think of him wearing it like a Scarlet Letter on his sleeve for the rest of his life. So unjust.
Shaky evidence presented by his Accuser caught on like viral wild fire on the Internet and people had already tied that symbolic rock around his neck and tossed him into the water to drown before he could open his mouth to say anything. When he was finally able to give a statement, his transparent honesty unfortunately damned him even further, and he has now been burned at the stake over semantics. Hyun Joong admitted to a Physical Confrontation and an accidental rib injury that happened while the couple were horsing around. By the time he was able to make this statement, it did not really matter what he said happened. The people had already made up their minds and the Media did nothing to retract their hasty words. An entry was even placed on his Wikipedia page stating he had been accused of Assault and the administrator refused to remove it even after the Police and the Victim dropped the charges. The one count of Bodily Harm he was indicted on was enough ‘factual evidence’ for them to keep the entry. Assault is an ugly word, and it will be stuck to him forever now. So tragic and heartbreaking for such a kind, honest and beautiful soul. My heart breaks to think of him wearing it like a Scarlet Letter on his sleeve for the rest of his life. So unjust.
The public opinion seems to rule everything in S. Korea, and they have crucified him as an Man Who Beats Women and an Unforgivable Sinner. As his fans, we are struggling to understand the Korean Society and the harshness of their behavior. After reading a brief article on Hyunnie’s Pexers site offering an explanation as to why Kim Hyun Joong has remained out of the spotlight and did not attend the Yahoo Award Ceremony or even offer a short Video Acceptance led me to do a little further research in an attempt to understand what his thoughts and reasons might have been. We have been busy blaming Key East for not protecting him, and even feeling disappointed in Kim Hyun Joong himself. I have seen some strong criticism for their seemingly cold and unforgiving behavior from my fellow fans from other Countries and have experienced and expressed those feelings of frustration and misunderstanding myself right here in this blog. It is perplexing to say the least as an Outsider looking in to understand how they can behave in a manner that seems so inhumane. I want to understand them, because I want to understand Kim Hyun Joong, so I did a little digging and read papers from Korean History and Culture Scholars and a post from one of my favorite blogs: Ask a Korean. I have now learned more about Korean Society and Culture and now realize that we are trying to understand this situation with very deep seated Western and European Societal Beliefs, and this is where the breakdown has occurred. It has been said that Koreans are not good at communicating with foreigners, and there is a very good reason for that. To be Korean, there is a knowledge of their History and Culture that is just a given. A knowledge the rest of us don’t have, and therefore find it difficult to understand. I don’t want to go into a History and Culture Lesson here, but I must say a few words in the hopes of shedding some light on the situation for my fellow fans.
If we stop and reflect, we realize that Modern S. Korea is a baby Society going through extreme growing pains. S. Korea has only been Industrialized as a Nation for a little over 50 years. At the Conclusion of the Korean War in the 1950’s, Korea was split into two Territories. Before that time, they were one Society and had very Ancient and Strong Traditions. These Traditions are based in Confucianism and are Extremely Conservative. North Korea has not progressed at all as a Society since the end of the war, and if you take a look at them, you will see where the S. Koreans came from in a little over 50 years. Modern S. Korea has grown up from the ashes in this short amount of time. It is the fastest modernization of a country in World History. As a result, they have embraced the Western and European Capitalistic Democracy as their new form of Government. On the surface, the daily lives of S. Koreans may look the same as yours and mine. However, just below the surface, we find those deep seated Conservative Confucian Traditions still in full force. Traditional Korean Values are in riotous conflict with the rapid growth of Modernism. And so, social practices that were effective at keeping them Civilized and Governed in the recent past are still in place. Koreans come from a Finial Societal Structure that worships and upholds the Sanctity of Family. Family is EVERYTHING, and being Korean makes you a part of the FAMILY of the SOCIETY as WHOLE.
If we stop and reflect, we realize that Modern S. Korea is a baby Society going through extreme growing pains. S. Korea has only been Industrialized as a Nation for a little over 50 years. At the Conclusion of the Korean War in the 1950’s, Korea was split into two Territories. Before that time, they were one Society and had very Ancient and Strong Traditions. These Traditions are based in Confucianism and are Extremely Conservative. North Korea has not progressed at all as a Society since the end of the war, and if you take a look at them, you will see where the S. Koreans came from in a little over 50 years. Modern S. Korea has grown up from the ashes in this short amount of time. It is the fastest modernization of a country in World History. As a result, they have embraced the Western and European Capitalistic Democracy as their new form of Government. On the surface, the daily lives of S. Koreans may look the same as yours and mine. However, just below the surface, we find those deep seated Conservative Confucian Traditions still in full force. Traditional Korean Values are in riotous conflict with the rapid growth of Modernism. And so, social practices that were effective at keeping them Civilized and Governed in the recent past are still in place. Koreans come from a Finial Societal Structure that worships and upholds the Sanctity of Family. Family is EVERYTHING, and being Korean makes you a part of the FAMILY of the SOCIETY as WHOLE.
Therefore, when a perceived transgression has occurred, it is seen as a sin against the Family and by extension the entire S. Korean Society. As a result, it is Traditional to be Shunned by Society for a period of time to make penance for your wrongdoings. The family members of the Transgressor are expected to make amends to Society while they are being Exiled. This separation from Society and Family is not only a Punishment and Deterrent for unacceptable behavior, it is also a time of reflection, repentance, and redemption. As barbaric and unjust as it seems, it is actually a very effective means of keeping order. To receive this treatment from your Community is pure torture for a Korean whose Pride Reigns Supreme. It is a way of creating humility where it may not exist.
During this time of exile, the person’s family is expected to sustain him with food and support in order to keep him alive. No other interaction is allowed. Once the appropriate amount of time has passed, the person is allowed back into the Community, and all is supposed to be forgiven. Unfortunately, human nature does not easily forgive, and some will continue to make life very difficult for a person who has received this Shunning Treatment as well as his immediate family and children. This leads to ostracizing, hate crimes and often suicide for the Accused and members of his family that fold under the emotional devastation of being treated as an Evil person who poses a danger to society. It is not a perfect system, in fact, it is a horrible system that is completely unacceptable in Western and European Cultures, however it is still very much in place even though S. Koreans have embraced Western Modernization in an economic sense. Although I do not agree with their methods, in order to understand my beloved, Kim Hyun Joong, I must understand this on an intellectual level. It does not make it right, or any easier to bear as I love him so much his pain is my pain and the hateful treatment he is receiving wounds me deeply. I have no choice but to wait while he suffers through it because he chose to be honest and own up to his part in what happened with his ex.
During this time of exile, the person’s family is expected to sustain him with food and support in order to keep him alive. No other interaction is allowed. Once the appropriate amount of time has passed, the person is allowed back into the Community, and all is supposed to be forgiven. Unfortunately, human nature does not easily forgive, and some will continue to make life very difficult for a person who has received this Shunning Treatment as well as his immediate family and children. This leads to ostracizing, hate crimes and often suicide for the Accused and members of his family that fold under the emotional devastation of being treated as an Evil person who poses a danger to society. It is not a perfect system, in fact, it is a horrible system that is completely unacceptable in Western and European Cultures, however it is still very much in place even though S. Koreans have embraced Western Modernization in an economic sense. Although I do not agree with their methods, in order to understand my beloved, Kim Hyun Joong, I must understand this on an intellectual level. It does not make it right, or any easier to bear as I love him so much his pain is my pain and the hateful treatment he is receiving wounds me deeply. I have no choice but to wait while he suffers through it because he chose to be honest and own up to his part in what happened with his ex.
So, what does this mean for us, Kim Hyun Joong’s fans who love him like family? Of course, we as his fans know he was already one of the most humble and thoughtful people to ever be born. It seems to us he does not deserve this Traditional Exile. He did make a serious lapse in judgement, however with this girlfriend and just as we would expect, TOLD THE TRUTH. He did this knowing full well the consequences, and we must now watch as he takes them like the man we have come to love and respect so deeply. We are forced to witness helplessly as he suffers this punishment and shunning treatment until the appropriate time for him to be accepted back into his Country’s Open Society. The most difficult part is the damage to his Career Path and denial of interaction with his fans. We will be deprived of those precious few months we had left until his Military Service. We are missing him so painfully, but this is not just about our grief and suffering. As I began to understand what is happening to him, REALLY UNDERSTAND, my sorrow became even deeper.
Key East is being perceived as soulless and heartless in their abandonment, and criticism of his Hyung Bae Yong Joon have even made it’s way into our hearts and minds. It seems his Hyung and close friend has abandoned him as well as a representative of his Agency. If that were true, it would be dispicable, however, I now know the opposite is probably true. They haven’t abandoned him, and in private they are still very much on his side. Unfortunately, they are not able to have his back Publicly to Prove this. As we understand what is REALLY going on, it becomes clear that they have little or no choice. It is not an Abandonment, it is a forced exile. If they lift so much as a finger in the public forum to defend or protect him, their company will receive the same punishment. They will be shunned by a whole Society, and in a business sense, that would be suicide. Kim Hyun Joong understands this, and now so must we. As I begin to comprehend what is being required of them, it becomes even more painful and I am aching with sorrow for Hyun Joong even more. I am sure that he misses us just as much, but he is Korean, so he is helpless to make any Public Appearances during this time or even send us a simple message to let us know how he is faring. Some of his friends in the Entertainment Industry have taken great risks to get simple messages to us letting us know he is healthy and doing well.
Key East is being perceived as soulless and heartless in their abandonment, and criticism of his Hyung Bae Yong Joon have even made it’s way into our hearts and minds. It seems his Hyung and close friend has abandoned him as well as a representative of his Agency. If that were true, it would be dispicable, however, I now know the opposite is probably true. They haven’t abandoned him, and in private they are still very much on his side. Unfortunately, they are not able to have his back Publicly to Prove this. As we understand what is REALLY going on, it becomes clear that they have little or no choice. It is not an Abandonment, it is a forced exile. If they lift so much as a finger in the public forum to defend or protect him, their company will receive the same punishment. They will be shunned by a whole Society, and in a business sense, that would be suicide. Kim Hyun Joong understands this, and now so must we. As I begin to comprehend what is being required of them, it becomes even more painful and I am aching with sorrow for Hyun Joong even more. I am sure that he misses us just as much, but he is Korean, so he is helpless to make any Public Appearances during this time or even send us a simple message to let us know how he is faring. Some of his friends in the Entertainment Industry have taken great risks to get simple messages to us letting us know he is healthy and doing well.
For example, the message we received from his former body guard, Mr. Jong. The message we received from his SS501 brothers after a Birthday Party stating he was doing well. The photos from the Coal Distribution Charity he participated in last week and this week, Hyun Joong attended a wedding for his co-star in Inspiring Generation. We have seen the photos and even had a small account from a wedding guest describing his appearance and demeanor. The guest stated that he was demure and shy and looking handsome. She states that he does not seem like a person that could do what he has been accused of at all, and was very polite and quiet at the event. The pictures she shared are so welcome, and I am deeply in her debt for sharing these as well as the fan on Twitter who translated the account into English. It has helped to alleviate my pain and I am relieved that he is quietly living well. I know deep in my heart, he is going through the most difficult time in his life right now, and I long to sweep him up in my arms and just hold him tight to let him feel he is still very deeply loved. I think he knows. I know he knows this fact as we have given him a beautiful Christmas Gift, the Yahoo Buzz Best Asian Idol Award 2014.
He would have been there thanking us with all his heart if it had been allowed. Since it was not, we felt deeply disappointed. I was even a bit angry with Hyun Joong over it, but now that I understand, I must apologize for that. I will never stop loving him, and I want to understand him. I have a new light shed on this situation now, and I understand. Hyun Joong, My Angel, I am sorry for being impatient and resentful. I understand now why you had to stay hidden, and I am waiting patiently once again for you to be released from your debt and back in the arms of those who love you most. Your Friends, Family, and Alien Family. We, your loyal fans are waiting. I hope you can come back to us soon. I hope that before you are hidden away for two long years, it will be acceptable for you to give us one last gift of love. I hope you are able to express all your joy and sorrow in that project and enter the Military Service with a clean conscience and a full heart to sustain you. During this time, I pray you are able to receive the Sustaining Love we are offering from our Sincere Hearts. I pray this will be food for your soul until you are able to greet us again with bright smiles. Your Korean family is taking care of you the best they can during this time and we join them with our vigilant prayers and support. We love you, Kim Hyun Joong. We truly and deeply love you, and in that love we understand you. We are waiting patiently to see you again.
Love,
Angie Noonim
Just a quick note to my readers. I have been without my computer for a couple of weeks and have not been able to update the Support KHJ page now that some of the polls and Award Voting is closed. I will be working on that soon and have new polls for you to vote in. Thank you to all the fans who have been busy voting and posting new polls as they became available on Twitter and Facebook. I will update the page soon. Thank You! More #1 Standings for Hyun Joong will give us all a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I know he is thankful as well. We will hear from him as soon as it is appropriate for him to break his silence. Thank you for continuing to support and love him Unconditionally. And thank you for your love and patience with me as I work out some of my emotional lows and highs in my blog. I am so blessed to have this Alien Family!
He would have been there thanking us with all his heart if it had been allowed. Since it was not, we felt deeply disappointed. I was even a bit angry with Hyun Joong over it, but now that I understand, I must apologize for that. I will never stop loving him, and I want to understand him. I have a new light shed on this situation now, and I understand. Hyun Joong, My Angel, I am sorry for being impatient and resentful. I understand now why you had to stay hidden, and I am waiting patiently once again for you to be released from your debt and back in the arms of those who love you most. Your Friends, Family, and Alien Family. We, your loyal fans are waiting. I hope you can come back to us soon. I hope that before you are hidden away for two long years, it will be acceptable for you to give us one last gift of love. I hope you are able to express all your joy and sorrow in that project and enter the Military Service with a clean conscience and a full heart to sustain you. During this time, I pray you are able to receive the Sustaining Love we are offering from our Sincere Hearts. I pray this will be food for your soul until you are able to greet us again with bright smiles. Your Korean family is taking care of you the best they can during this time and we join them with our vigilant prayers and support. We love you, Kim Hyun Joong. We truly and deeply love you, and in that love we understand you. We are waiting patiently to see you again.
Love,
Angie Noonim
Just a quick note to my readers. I have been without my computer for a couple of weeks and have not been able to update the Support KHJ page now that some of the polls and Award Voting is closed. I will be working on that soon and have new polls for you to vote in. Thank you to all the fans who have been busy voting and posting new polls as they became available on Twitter and Facebook. I will update the page soon. Thank You! More #1 Standings for Hyun Joong will give us all a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I know he is thankful as well. We will hear from him as soon as it is appropriate for him to break his silence. Thank you for continuing to support and love him Unconditionally. And thank you for your love and patience with me as I work out some of my emotional lows and highs in my blog. I am so blessed to have this Alien Family!
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