In recent years, k-pop has increased in popularity.
Groups like BTS or Blackpink have millions of fans around the world.
Their perfectionism is extreme, from videos with well-studied choreographies, costumes, colors
and settings that become true works of art, to performances that leave no room for improvisation.
But what many don’t know is that reaching these levels of perfection is not easy and
they must pay a very high price. Today we tell you about the hidden and darkest part of k-pop.
This musical style works through companies that aren’t only dedicated to producing their artists,
but also have total control of their career. They are in charge of planning everything:
publications, licenses or even controlling their social networks.
To become a k-pop star, it isn’t enough for a talent scout to find you singing a video
on YouTube, these idols have to undergo very demanding and hard practices before they can
become artists. Korean k-pop companies hold auditions every week. But do not think that
by being chosen they have a guaranteed place in the industry. If the company considers that
the person may have talent, they are selected to begin hard training that will last several years.
And still some will never debut as artists. The chosen ones, who are called trainees,
have to perfect all their skills: dancing, singing, acting..., but not only that,
they also have to change their physical appearance to fit the required Korean beauty standards.
The life of a trainee is not easy at all. They are subjected to extreme training for 14 hours a day,
and factors such as height, weight and figure are controlled to the millimeter. They must undergo
exercises, extremely dangerous extreme diets; and even go several days without eating. Also,
some are forced to undergo surgery if they don’t meet certain beauty standards. The most
common are eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, chin definition, or heart-shaped lips.
In addition to being tested on their level of singing and dancing, they are put under
psychological pressure and intentionally hurt in order to learn their emotional strength.
At the moment they become idols, they sacrifice their freedom as a person,
most of them aren’t allowed to have love relationships or have their own social networks,
only professional ones, and controlled by others. Even something as innocent
as cutting their hair in another way cannot be done without the approval of the company.
And do not think that all those who access these trainings are adults, many enter with only 10
or 12 years. Several artists who have left the genre confessed to some of the abusive clauses
that prevented them from having a free life. For example, contracts that forced them to have
to return all the money invested in them. Many, blinded by the dream of becoming an artist, signed
without hesitation, but later found themselves in a world full of prohibitions in which they made
little profit, because almost everything they obtained was taken by the big companies. And
they cannot leave because the contracts penalize them with fines that they could never pay. These
types of contracts are known as “slave contracts”. Only a part of the applicants manage to position
themselves as artists once the training period ends, but the difficulties don’t end there.
They become a product of the company, where neither their physical nor mental health matters,
the important thing is to demonstrate their perfection on stage and sell more and more.
They are trained to become robots, they must follow the designated personality,
what they can and cannot do. They can't get tattoos, they can't drink alcohol,
they can't drive, they can't travel on their own… The prohibitions vary depending on the company
and the group, but in general they are required to behave like perfect machines without errors.
It is also important to mention how the relationship of idols with the Korean public is,
which idolizes them and their obligation is to owe themselves to them. However,
there can be no failures, in the event that someone makes a mistake in a letter or step,
gains a couple of kilos, or makes a gesture that is misinterpreted,
his fans will shower him with insults and he will be harshly judged and rejected.
This serious reaction has led some artists to decide to end their lives, because they
couldn’t live with such a high level of hatred towards everything they did. Others haven’t
reached these extremes, but develop very serious mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression,
or eating disorders. Something that must be hidden there, because it represents a sign of weakness.
We love this genre for its dances and songs, but it is super important that these idols begin to
be treated as they deserve. Some companies are gradually improving their conditions,
but it is very necessary that this industry stop using them as objects. Don't you think, Tiktakers?