Super Junior‘s usually overly hyper and happy leader, LeeTeuk (real name Park Jungsoo), recently posted a few entries on his CyWorld minihompy that have netizens abuzz and ELFs in a CODE RED state of emergency. The ever approaching ahjussi-aged leader of the world’s largest boy band, who even earlier this year had a bout of the blues, posted about a mysterious “club” for his friends and fellow KPOPstars with similar cases of melancholy, heavy-heartedness, and dispiritedness as of late. And what, pray tell, could this group of wistful individuals be called? Why, the “Milk Club”, of course.
Say, what?!
On the 26th he wrote:
..I like quiet places..
..I like places without people..
..Thinking it this way, indeed I’m in the Milk Club..ㅋㅋ
Later that day he posted:
..Milk Club..
..A gathering of depressed souls…
..Lots of depressed feelings..
..It feels like I’m starting to enjoy the depression period..
..Always struggling in loneliness…
..There have been lots of tears..
..Hope everyone can understand that loneliness..
..I thought I had a good ability to hide this loneliness..
..For the sake of hiding my depression, I joked around more..
..Like to act fine..But that was definitely not fine..
..We decided to call each other court ladies..
..Court Lady Teuk..Court Lady Taeng..Court Lady Yoong..
..Although there have been many applications..
..3 members(Taeyeon,Yoona) must agree together then others can register..
..Now Yoochun and Onew have come onto the list..
..In the future, this club, will live better in order to overcome depression..
..Thinking of giving each other mutual support…
..Sorrow..Escaping from pain..Happiness..We’re anticipating to share it among all of us..
..In the future, Milk Club (Gathering of depressed souls)
..Hope the meaning will be ‘milk.. made in lovely kin..’*..
..The organization..
..President: Eeteuk (Park Jungsoo)..Court Lady Teuk
..Vice-president: Yoona (Im Yoona)..Court Lady Yoong
..Manager: Taeyeon (Kim Taeyeon)..Court Lady Taeng
These posts are not only intriguing because Teukie talks about his own issues, but also the fact that he names his fellow SM artists from Idol groups SHINee, DBSK, and SNSD (and gives them all the titles of “Lady”). I wouldn’t be surprised if these idols are suffering from some depression or at the very least some isolation and loneliness, but netizens (myself included) are wondering if there’s more to the “Milk Club” than Eeteuk is letting on. Is it just a joke? Or are these idols actually turning to the “milk bottle” during late night sessions in the basement of their apartment buildings and confiding with one another?
Depression is definitely not a light matter and although it’s good to see that Leeteuk is in a good enough state where he can joke about his feelings and discuss them pretty candidly on his homepage, if these problems are manifesting themselves in any of these idols in such a way that could be interpreted as depression, they should seek help and some much needed R&R. And not turn to the “bottle”! (Well, not heavily, anyway.)
A reminder of happier times:
