WARNING: This is a serious article. I hope your feelings aren’t taken strongly about this. you will post in a mature way, rather than bash.
“Your nationality or your age does not matter” – Amber, from f(x) to promote SM Global Audition
In a way Amber, it does.
Imagine it this way. A K-Pop fan who has pretty good vocal and dancing skills believes he/she has a big ambition to debut in South Korea. Whether it’s as a solo artist or in a group with other people, it does not matter. He/she has a high hope of passing the audition and training under the enertainment company they have selected. The problem? The person is not accepted because they are not Asian or do no look Asian at all.
It may seem harsh, but if you think of it this way, Enertainment Global Auditions seem to only target Asian people however there are slim chances of other races getting in to be trainees at enertainment companies for example, I remember someone uploaded a YouTube video of three SM trainees, one of the girls was Half-Black, Half-Japanese but she didn’t look Asian at all.
A copy of an SM audition information form proves my point.
But if you think about it this way, there are good and bad reasons for doing so.
Good Reasons:
Some and I mean some Asians would be more comfortable seeing their own race in a group on TV, they are more likely to be popular and taken more seriously.
This can also be similar to when people audition for American Idol or X-Factor, do you know how quick some of them get voted out or not taken seriously for? I was so mad and I’m not even Asian!!
Bad Reasons:
- Crushes the dreams of K-Pop fans who are non-Asian and want to debut in South Korea. They can audition but are less likely to be picked.
- Shows that Korea have a long way to go in terms of seeing somebody of complete different ethnicity up there with everybody else compared to multi-cultural countries as the UK or USA.
People can audition but I highly doubt they will pick a non-Asian, I mean seriously, groups seem to be more popular these days and I have yet to see a black boy/girl in a Korean boy/girl group of no Korean descent.
Try out as a choreographer or producer, but singer, no. I’m afraid not. ¬_¬ I heard they are be picked more likely for behind-the-scenes stuff than debuting as a singer. If someone does get picked, please message me so I can spread the word that there is a non-Asian trainee in K-Pop.
Hi bb! Thanks for sharing this insightful post. I do agree, and to some extent a form of “discrimination” does not just stop at race—if you’re good-looking (which is the first thing they see of course, and that’s why they require you to send close-up photos, videos, etc.) which is not a requirement but definitely a plus, and if you have more or less a talent (though again, not required but would make you stand out). Korea has definitely improved over the years in terms of accepting non-Koreans into the biz which was quite impossible back then. Now you see 2PM Khun, U-Kiss Alex, SuJu Hangeng, etc.—BUT despite them being “foreigners” they are STILL ASIANS. I’d love to see a diversity of race in KPOP like in Japan like Jero (an African American) who sings enka, a traditional Japanese song genre no less! And of course Crystal Kay who’s Korean and American. Talent definitely precedes race but in some cases Japan also imports people based on looks such as gravure idols like Leah Dizon, Becky Cruel, etc. Idunno, I do hope that Korean auditions outside Korea will not give false hopes to non-Koreans/non-Asians who wish to fulfill their dreams.
I love Korean music, and can sing well, but I know they will not want me there to see because I’m Black.
I’ll try here in America or Europe.
Organised by Asians for Asians to provide opportunities for Asians only. It is certainly racist and it’s okay. Why? Because they’re open about it. There’s no crime in that.
Secondly…non-asians can also organise similar auditions solely based on their race and language and culture. This for-asians only audition does not stop or prevent anyone from other races from organising similar talent search. Freedom is your choice.
Just because the UK and US do not practice racial discrimination, does it mean Korea and by extension, other Asian, African, European, Arab and South American countries must follow? Where does it say that? Show me, tell me.
Using one Asians-only audition as in this case and then over-generalizing that Korea as a country has a long way to go in seeing somebody of different ethnicity is biased and inaccurate reporting. That single leap of mis-logic is indeed more racist than the one you’re accusing.
Korea isn’t the only country which has a long way to go in seeing somebody of different ethnicity…the majority of countries in the world are like that. Or can you name other non-racial discriminatory countries other than UK or US? Which other countries can you list that practises freedom from racial discrimination?
I’m not saying Korea is xenophobic because reality proves Korea is far from being xenophobic. Korea is no more xenophobic than other countries with similar historically single-ethnic traditions.
Therefore the notion that this audition in particular reeks of racism is nothing more than your reporter’s own failure to view the world properly and put things in perspective. In fact the authorites in the US city/cities where these auditions were held can jolly well stop these so-called ‘racist’ auditions on the grounds that they violate American values that are non-racist, so the real question is…why haven’t the Americans reacted?
Good view.
I’ve thought about this a lot. Especially when I think about my wanting to move to Korea or Japan and sing,dance,etc. It reminds me of when I was watching Superstar K and the mixed contestant was on the show all excited and she came back in tears and it devestated me.Then a Caucasian went on there knowing little Korean and he had no talent whatsoever . I think it was so racist of them to do that when she was perfectly capable .
True but how many people of non Asian descent really want to audition for these entertainment groups? If you also look at it, if you’re non Asian and are actually talented, there are a lot of opportunities to make it big in America. Since these entertainment companies are solely focusing on the Asians, the percentage of Asians getting in is higher. -Adio
I’ve auditioned for JYP 3 times and got rejected each time. I have one of my auditions posted on youtube, and I covered my face to see what people would say, and most people like it. But guaranteed if I showed my face, who knows what kind of comments I would receive. But yeah. I wasn’t picked. But I do want to keep trying.
Also, I’m completely 100% caucasian.
good for you.
) can become a trainie and bring some diversity in 
i am in the same position you are in.
i have not tried out for JYP or SM or anything, but i want to…but like you, i am 100% undeniably caucasian.
hopefully someone like us (or maybe one of us
*this is not meant to be offensive in anyway to any one at all*
^———– just in case someone took offense
I think JYP is just targeting people of SK descent outside Korea. Not Asians, per se. If an Indian or Filipino(they are technically considered Asian only that a lot are darker skinned than the general Korean society) would audition and say, very talented, I don’t think they will be even considered. I think the idea of East Asian people and some Westerners that Asia is limited to the three countries: China, Japan, and Korea). Maybe JYP is looking for EAST Asians, not “Asians”?
But then, racism is not just in Korea. In the Philippines, there is blatant bias toward people of mix descent even though some don’t have talent. And ‘indigenous’ people in the Philippines are also discriminated in the media. Some years ago, a co-contestant of an indigenous person answered(to the question of who he wanted out and why) and reasoned that because that person belongs to an indigenous group.
The entertainment industry in general reeks of racism – subtle and blatant.
This may seem a little off kilter, but just to throw in my two cents, Indians (from India, not the other term for Native Americans) are considered Caucasian. :B
True the auditions are targeted to Asians directly. I think that other races have like 1% chance and I think that the most likely race SM or JYP etc. would be white because Asians are aware of Hollywood and they love American actors/actresses. I think African-Americans have at least .00001% chance of making it. But it’s true and we’ll just have to accept it until the world changes.
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There are non Asian trainees.. but they look Asian and was hard to believe they weren’t Asian. They aren’t as popular as most trainees though but the reps keep eyes on them because they’re “unique”.
Also keep in mind that ‘Nationality’ and ‘Ethnicity’ are completely different things^^
That’s why the always put Nationaly rather then Ethnicity in audition promos.