Idols' Love is Business?

A little while ago, Taekyeon, a member of the popular idol group 2PM had left an explanation on his minihompy to his fans.
He told them not to worry about him and Yoona of Girls' Generation dating, and that his performance with her in MBC's Gayo Daejun was just business.

2PM's brother group, 2AM's Jokwon is also appearing on MBC's show "We Got Married" with yet another girl group member, Gain of Brown Eyed Girls as a virtual couple. 2AM's youngest member, Jinwoon, also quoted, "I like Girls' Generations Seohyun so much that my computer's password is Seohyun."

Of course, the members aren't actually dating anyone. However, 2PM and 2AM approach the population as not "idols" but "men." 2PM's Nickhun was also the first male idol to appear on the show m.net "Scandal", where famous artists go on dates throughout the course of one week.
To fans, this kind of business increases their worries and sighs. However, like Park Sung Hoon, the PD of the SBS music program said, "By becoming a group (that fans) look to as men rather than singers" they are increasing the amount of attention drawn to them by women who are not their fans.
The members are now cast in commercials that target people in their 20's, like cell phone and beer. In one CF, a women is shown touching Nickhun's stomach.

10 years ago, Gahn Mi Yeon, a member of Babybox, was sent a threatening letter with a razor attached because of a rumor that she was dating Moon Hee Joon of HOT.
These days, however, idols like Taekyeon convinces his fans that having performances that include skinship between him and girl idols is sometimes necessary. This kind of business results in the increase in the number of the fans.
Bigbang showed that by having music that started trends and fashion styles that idols could get love from the wide range of ages of people in their 10's and 20's. 2PM, however, gets the love from everyone in every age group by acting like a boyfriend to everyone.
The new aspect of idols that groups like 2PM and 2AM show the change idols are going through in the entertainment business.

In the past... (omit)

In the age in which where idols are allowed to date, it will be hard for them to regain the charismatic idol they were before. However, they approach us like lovers, therefore gaining more attention, they are now the best item that can perform in all the wide areas of the entertainment business. Idol business is going through the closing stages of achieving perfection like this. The final weapon of stardom, where it will be possible for them to cover all the areas of singing, dancing, six-packs, entertaining and dating.

Credits: News: Hankooki Translations: JinaStar@2ONEDAY