The growing trend of collecting photocards among K-pop idol fans has recently come under scrutiny.

Parents are now voicing their concern about the culture of collecting photocards. According to media outlets, one parent recently reported that they had to buy "boxes of soda cans that they don't even generally drink," just because their children "begged" them they wanted IVE Wonyoung's photocard.

Similar anecdotes can be found on online platforms called "mom cafes," where parents engage in merchandise trading to acquire specific photocards.

"Because my child told me that they can receive specific IVE's photocards if we buy pizza, I have had to visit three different chains," shared one parent. Another parent also voiced their lamentation: "Is it right to buy hoards of Coca-Cola cans that we are not even going to drink just to get our hands on a few photocards?"

According to one 12-year-old fan, they have purchased all the drinks and pizzas for IVE's photocards, and it has cost them around 200,000 won in total. "Because parents don't like spending money on photocards, a friend of mine even worked part-time without their knowledge," said the fan.

Critics have noted a concerning trend in which food companies collaborate with K-pop idols, using them as models to attract teenage consumers. For instance, Coca-Cola and NewJeans have teamed up to offer limited edition cans that come with photobooks or memo sheets featuring idol members' photos.

Pepsi has taken a similar approach, offering a random set of three photocards with every box of Pepsi Zero Sugar cans. These marketing tactics entice fans to consume more products, leading to an increase in spending.

Other collaborations between girl groups and food chains offering discounted pizza and chicken sets further contribute to the obsession. Even vitamin supplements associated with idol promotions sell out quickly, necessitating additional production. The demand for photocards has also resulted in an increase in their value on online platforms where used items are exchanged, with the prices of these photocards often exceeding the cost of the actual product.

Parents are collectively expressing their discontent through news reports, criticizing corporations of promoting overspending among children. "There are also many children who throw away the food products just because they don't want it, so witnessing such occurrences has been extremely enervating."

What are your thoughts?