K-pop, short for Korean Popular Music, has been a rising global cultural phenomenon for the last few decades. From the energetic dances and bright colours to the overall aesthetic appeal, K-pop has been a mode of euphoric escapism for millions worldwide. What most people don’t realise, however, is how dangerous the industry is for not just K-pop’ idols’ but also the naïve people that aspire to be like them.
The system consists of gigantic private companies that groom and shape young singers and dancers, forming groups and preparing them for their potential debuts. Thousands of impressionable boys and girls, starting at just ten, audition every year to enter these training companies. Not just children, but even their parents may force them to learn music and dance in the hopes of becoming a star and achieving wealth and success. Teenagers and children drop out of school to attend these programs, full of strict training and dietary regimes that involve physically exerting lessons for over 16 hours a day and meals usually consisting of less than the average intake of calories required, especially considering their extreme fitness schedule. Even after their debut, their labels control what they eat, leading to idols fainting on stage during live performances. Many stars, especially women, have admitted to developing eating disorders because of their extreme lifestyle and their expectations.
Aside from the outrageous body standards for males and females, companies hold a tight leash on their artists’ lives. By signing these long contracts at such young ages, swept up in the exciting prospects of fame, artists don’t realise that these companies can stop them from getting tattoos or drinking on days off, and even force them to undergo various plastic surgeries to make them more attractive. For the length of their contract, idols are often restricted from engaging in romantic relationships to make them more appealing to fans. After all this turmoil, artists, in the worst cases, receive only 10% of the profits earned, the rest going to their labels.
The company carefully crafts every performance, Instagram Livestream, and interview of these K-pop idols. All artists have rules about what they can say, what’s off-limits and how they must behave as a group. When artists break out of this perfect-personality box, they receive hate comments and even death threats. All the cyberbullying and pressure have driven many celebrities to take their own lives at the height of their popularity.
It’s important to remember that things aren’t always as they seem. Our seemingly perfect stars face trauma and torture that we can’t even imagine. Keep that in mind next time you compare yourself to your favourite K-Pop star or think about posting a negative comment online.
