Made in Korea star says fearsome K-pop boss was 'kind' to Dear Alice

by · Mail Online

The wellness coach enlisted to help British boyband Dear Alice digest often brutal feedback from one of the leading voices in K-pop has lifted the lid on what it was like to film the BBC series - including how she advised them to deal with toxic fandoms and explained they were trying to make it in the 'toughest industry ever'. 

Korean American life coach and therapist Jeanie Chang spent hours with the Dear Alice bandmembers after they flew to Seoul for BBC One's Made in Korea docu-series and were trained up by the country's famously tough K-pop machine.

The ten-part series, of which four are currently available to watch on the iPlayer, follows the fortunes of pop star wannabes, Blaise Noon, Dexter Greenwood, James Sharp, Olly Quinn and Reese Carter, as they make a bid for stardom.

Viewers have watched as the bandmembers have come face-to-face with fearsome K-pop matriarch Hee Jun Yoon, who appeared on the show of Director of the Artist Development Center, offering the kind of icy feedback that would make Simon Cowell look like a puppy dog. 

Korean American therapist and life coach Jeanie Chang was enlisted by BBC producers on the hit docu-series Made in Korea to help British boyband Dear Alice deal with the gruelling training and often harsh feedback that's par for the course for K-pop bands (Pictured: Chang with Dear Alice in Seoul during filming) 
The boyband had to perform in front of Hee Jun Yoon, centre, one of the most powerful voices in K-pop, and she was rarely complementary about the band's performances
Blaise, the youngest member of the group, found himself in trouble for his outspoken ways, something that Chang says isn't that Hee Jun Yoon would be used to 
However, the mental health coach says despite initial iciness from the K-pop management powerhouse, she did eventually become more positive towards Dear Alice
Reese Carter, one fifth of the band, pictured during filming: Chang says while the training on the show was 100 per cent authentic, she does think the band might have been treated less kindly if they were Korean 
Next One Direction? Made in Korea sees the boys training under the K-pop regime as they launch their pop career 
Chang says she spent hours discussing mental health issues with the boys during filming 
An early taste of success; a Korean fan asks for a selfie - and Chang says the band enjoyed the attention they got in Seoul 
In Korea, obsessive fans are known as 'sasaeng' fans, and K-pop bands have faced problems with toxic fandoms. Earlier this year, US star Chappell Roan called out 'creepy' behaviour from her own fans

She told MailOnline that the show was 100 per cent authentic, with her spending around an hour at a time talking through issues with each band member: 'The remit was very much just 'Do what you do in real life' and I did. 

'The conversation is episode four with Blaise was a very heavy conversation - and viewers got a very brief glimpse of it, but I was impressed with the way they showed our conversations on screen.' 

Chang says she was often on set filming for six hours each day and it was hard to watch Hee Jun Yoon being so honest in her opinions with the Dear Alice bandmembers. 

'I watched it all live behind the scenes. They're young boys and they're literally being told "You sound like nursery school children" - that's the direct translation of what she said.'

The therapist says as the 'on camera talent' she wasn't allowed to help the boys off camera, which she found hard. 'I wanted to run to them, because I could see their faces [after being given negative feedback] but the producer would be keen to save our sessions for the camera'. 

Chang says she also educated the boys off-camera on Korean culture, after Blaise appeared to be singled out by Hee Jun Yoon because he spoke up for the group. 

'Collaboration doesn't really work in the K-pop industry, where bands are often told "Don't say anything, this is what I told you" - but Blaise would often speak up. Hee Jun Yoon just wanted him to say "thank you", which is what the other four did.' 

The wellness coach says the boys were bound to struggle at times because they were trying to make it 'in the toughest industry ever'. 

Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience is currently airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
The band, from left: Dexter Greenwood, Reese Carter, Olly Quinn, Blaise Noon and James Sharp

So, is the K-pop training as tough as it looks on screen. 'Yes and no', says Chang. 'Yes, it's pretty accurate to show how gruelling it can be. I think Hee Jun Yoon was being nicer to the boys than she would have been if they were a real K-pop band. In episode four, we saw her being complementary - and that was real life, there was some sensitivity there.' 

Chang is also an expert in toxic fandom, something that's been seen in more Western culture in recent months - US star Chappell Roan called out 'creepy' fan behaviour in August - but has long since dogged K-pop idols. 

There's even a Korean word - a 'sasaeng' fan - to describe those who become obsessed with their favourite stars.

'K-pop idols have started to ask fans to stop, even people in the fandom are becoming aware of toxic fans. I think social media has definitely exacerbated the situation, because it's just easy access. Right?'

What to do if a family member or friend has crossed the line and is becoming obsessed with their favourite star? 

The mental health expert has published a book using the storylines used in K-dramas to help people discuss issues more freely

Chang advises: 'The thing not to say is: "Don't do this and stop watching this", because any negative commands actually makes them want to do it more.

'I think that the key is actually to point out what this kind of obsessive behaviour might be doing to the celebrity's mental health. You might say: "I think it must really hurt the artists when they see all this toxicity. This is not what the artist is about."'

In the therapist's latest book, she's used the hugely popular genre of Korean dramas - known as K-dramas - as a way to help people open up about mental health, in the same way that British soap operas often get people to discuss big issues thanks to families watching storylines unfold. 

How K-Dramas Can Transform Your Life: Powerful Lessons on Belongingness, Healing, and Mental Health (Wiley) is out now