BTS Jungkook‘s solo album “Golden” and SEVENTEEN‘s compilation album “17 IS RIGHT HERE” celebrate music and bops with outstanding physical editions. However, it looks like not only ARMY and Carats (that’s the name BTS and SEVENTEEN fans have, respectively) but the whole K-pop industry is facing a mounting eco-dilemma, as some fans are throwing out physical albums in bathrooms and streets.
While “Golden” and “17 IS RIGHT HERE” are in the eye of the storm due to fans’ wasteful practices, they are not the only names popping up in this environmental situation. Reportedly, albums of different K-pop groups and idols have been found abandoned in odd places, with the packages opened and stripped of their photocards. A translation from a disappointed fan reads:
“This is not it… Our precious Jungkook’s albums… Were all thrown out in the restroom..”
Here’s how non-conscious fans operate: they buy albums in bulk, trying to get the different copies and versions made available for that album. After that, they open the package and extract each photocard they find, dumping the remnants on random spots. As a result, other fans are questioning the record-breaking sales, saying some fellow K-pop stans aren’t here for collecting but just want to keep the photocard. With this, sales are artificially inflated and fans potentially get a fan call with their fave idol.
Studies made in South Korea reveal shocking numbers: K-pop album waste has skyrocketed by over 14 times in the last six years. The main companies in the problem? Labels like HYBE, JYP Entertainment, and Kakao Entertainment are at the forefront, crowned as the top three wasteful giants.
