A sorry spectacleMILLIONS in Taiwan woke up on election day to a video of a 16-year-old pop star, Chou Tzu-yu, making an abject apology. Her sin had been to seem to back Taiwan’s independence, by flaunting its national flag on television. “There’s only one China,” she parroted in the video. It smacked of a lynching and did no harm to Tsai Ing-wen with her call for Taiwan to distance itself from China, whose hand many saw in the bullying.
In fact, a more likely culprit was Ms Chou’s employer, JYP Entertainment, a South Korean talent agency. Its shares plunged after Chinese television cancelled a lucrative booking for Ms Chou’s group, Twice. With more contracts under threat, it seems likely Ms Chou was pushed in front of the camera to smooth ruffled Chinese feathers.
Like the Japanese companies they mimic, South Korea’s talent agencies have a fearsome reputation for controlling their young stars. In 2014 the government set new rules to protect underage recruits. Many endure years-long boot camps, living in dormitories; many have to undergo plastic surgery.
Also dragged to say sorry this week were...Continue reading
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