Filipino Teen Steals Tens of Millions from Grandmother: "To Buy K-pop Goods"

Controversy in the Philippines Over 'K-pop Goods Addiction'

A controversy has erupted in the local community over a case involving a Filipino teenage girl who stole a large sum of money from her grandmother to buy K-pop goods.

According to a report by Hong Kong media South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 12th (local time), a local Philippine broadcast on the 6th focused on a teenage girl named 'Bea' who stole tens of millions of won worth of money from her grandmother.

Known as a so-called 'K-pop maniac,' Bea has a hobby of collecting goods from famous domestic idol groups such as BTS, NewJeans, NCT, and BLACKPINK. Goods refer to celebrity-related items such as albums, T-shirts, and various photos. In particular, limited edition goods are reportedly traded at high prices, around 50,000 pesos (approximately 900 dollars / 1.2 million won).

K-pop merchandise display stand Photo by Yonhap News

Bea began to dip into her family's money to purchase limited edition goods. She reportedly stole as much as 2 million pesos (about 48 million won) from her grandmother and spent it all on K-pop goods.

After the broadcast aired, controversy grew in Philippine society.

Philippine K-pop fans pointed out that "the broadcast only highlighted the negative aspects of K-pop goods." They argued that collecting or trading K-pop goods was portrayed not as a normal hobby but as an 'addiction.'

Some also claimed that the broadcast could make K-pop goods a target for thieves. One fan said, "The production team should have concealed the specific prices of the goods," adding, "There are already many worried fans around me."

However, there were also many who defended the broadcast's criticism as appropriate.

There have been recent concerns that Filipino teenagers are spending excessive allowances on K-pop-related collectibles. A Filipino netizen who identified themselves as a parent said, "My daughter also tried to do something similar to what was shown on the broadcast," adding, "Fortunately, I noticed it in advance and now monitor her every day."