New America Media, News Report, Peter Schurmann, Posted: Aug 16, 2011

It may not be what South Korea intended, but if reports are to be believed the K-Pop phenomenon is certainly pushing the boundaries of so-called “soft power.”

According to a report in the Korea Times, Web sites across China released images this week of popular Korean “entertainers” prostituting themselves to wealthy Chinese. In the image, a man of supposed Chinese origin is shown in his underwear surrounded by “women, in various states of undress,” all looking up at him.

The article notes there are 37 women in total that appear in a series of photos that were reportedly taken without the women’s knowledge. It says that while one Chinese site claims to have identified one of the women, neither the authenticity of the images or the identity of the women in them has been verified.

“It is doubtful that Korean female entertainers are really engaging in prostitution,” the piece concludes.

Such claims, however, haven’t stopped Chinese netizens from trying to spot their favorite Korean actress. An article on Jinghua.com partially titled, “How many do you recognize” says the images have “exploded” across the Chinese Internet.

Unlike the Korea Times article, the Chinese report takes pains to note that despite questions surrounding the authenticity of the images, the fact that Korea’s female entertainers are often under pressure to provide sexual favors in order to advance their careers is a “open secret.”

These so-called “hidden regulations,” as Jinghua refers to them, have led to some high profile cases in South Korea, the most notable being that of Jang Ja-yeon. Jang’s suicide in 2009 was followed by allegations that she had been forced to have sex with some of the country’s most powerful figures, including the head of one of the largest media outlets.

The Korean media have, not surprisingly, been silent on the issue. Though they are quick to tout the merits of K-Pop in general.

Take the following: a piece in the Korea Herald notes K-Pop is succeeding where South Korean diplomacy isn’t.

“K-Pop captivates Youngsters in Pyongyang,” reads the headline. Quoting from a report that appeared on Radio Free Asia, the article notes that wealthy North Koreans are increasingly dancing to a South Korean beat.

“A personal dance tutor, who teaches the latest songs and moves, costs about $20 a month,” it says. That’s a hefty sum in North Korea, where the average wage for ordinary workers comes to somewhere around a dollar or two per month.

Those who can’t afford the lessons, or the hairstyles, run the risk of falling “out of fashion” in the world’s last Stalinist state.