For many young people, the opportunity to become famous, perform on grand stages, have
a wide fan base worldwide, and earn a huge income as a K-pop idol is an attractive dream.
If you want to become a K-pop idol in a famous music group in Korea like BTS, or BlackPink,
watch the following video to learn about the process of becoming a superstar!
1.
Become a trainee to have a debut opportunity
In Korea, there are two ways to become trainees at entertainment companies.
You can be directly selected on the streets or through competitions through the "talent
scouts."
The other way is to practice, register, and pass the audition of the entertainment company.
Usually, K-pop idols are selected directly because they have outstanding appearance that
attracts the attention of companies.
Some idols selected in this way are Jisoo (BlackPink), Jin (BTS), BaekHyun, and Sehun
(EXO).
For the audition, you can register to participate in companies such as Hybe, SM, JYP, and YG.
Every year, these companies hold many auditions in Korea and many other countries such as
Australia, Japan, China, and Thailand.
Besides appearance and talent, you must have personality and sometimes luck to be chosen.
Did you know that IU was rejected by nearly 20 large and small entertainment companies
in Korea before joining Loen Entertainment?
Lisa (BlackPink) passed the audition and became the first foreign trainee of YG.
YoonA (SNSD), Seulgi (Red Velvet), and Giselle (Aespa) are rare idols who passed the famous
and extremely difficult Saturday audition of SM.
In recent years, the trend of organizing survival shows such as Produce 101, and Girl Planet.
has also brought many opportunities for young people.
Mastering and overcoming a series of auditions will be the key to helping you get closer
to the dream of becoming a K-pop idol.
2.
Pass the audition, sign a contract, and go through fierce idol training
When you pass the audition or are selected by the staff of the entertainment company,
you will sign a contract.
This means you join the company as a trainee and have the opportunity to debut if suitable.
The training process of a K-pop idol trainee is extremely rigorous.
You must practice singing, dancing, performing, and rapping for about 15 hours a day, from
10 am to 10 pm.
Besides, you have to face weekly and monthly skill tests and compete with other trainees
to stay in the company.
Therefore, K-pop idol trainees will have to practice more to avoid falling behind and
being eliminated, and many have to accept dropping out of school to wait for opportunities.
During training, trainees have to pay a fee to the company, usually ranging from 500,000
to 2,000,000 won per month.
This amount can also be deducted from their salary after they debut for outstanding and
high-potential trainees.
In addition to practicing skills, K-pop idol trainees have to learn a lot of knowledge,
especially languages.
Foreign trainees need to learn Korean to communicate and operate in the Korean market.
Controlling weight is also a very important issue for a Kpop trainee and is often conducted
very strictly.
Moreover, entertainment companies will arrange dormitories for trainees.
Stringent regulations like no phone use, no dating, no use of social media, and a strict
diet must be followed.
Companies will have a significant intervention in the lives of trainees.
3.
Fierce competition to debut
For an entertainment company, usually, it takes a few years for a music group to debut.
The number of members in current music groups mostly ranges from 4 to 10 people.
Some cases of large-scale groups with more members are NCT, Seventeen, and Super Junior.
Meanwhile, the number of trainees trained annually at entertainment companies is quite
large.
You not only compete with competitors who are trainees from the same company but also
from the K-pop industry.
Therefore, to become a K-pop idol, you must face fierce competition and challenges.
You must have enough talent, skills, and attraction points to have a chance to debut.
4.
The fame of a K-pop idol - is it easy?
Debuting as a K-pop idol does not guarantee success.
Every year, the K-pop industry sees an explosion of new idol groups.
According to statistics, almost 100 new idol groups debut annually, but only a few succeed
in capturing the hearts of fans and the music industry.
In 2012, the third generation of K-pop idols emerged with groups such as EXO, EXID, A.O.A,
and NU'EST.
This marked the beginning of the golden age of Korean popular culture, as K-pop gained
popularity worldwide.
In that year, 62 groups debuted, but only two have yet to disband: EXO and BTOB.
In 2014, around 100 groups debuted, but only a few were memorable, such as GOT7, Red Velvet,
and Mamamoo.
In 2016, NCT, BlackPink, and IOI were among the few notable names among the hundreds of
groups that debuted.
The situation is even more challenging for the fourth generation, as since 2019, only
a handful of groups are remembered.
Therefore, becoming a K-pop idol and famous is even harder than winning the lottery.
To survive in the Hallyu wave, K-pop idols must possess good looks, and talent, be backed
by a large management company, and have luck.
Just being remembered by the public is already a huge success for idols.
In addition, K-pop idols must also meet strict standards from the public.
If idols have scandals or make any mistakes, they will be strongly criticized, even leading
to the end of their careers.
5.
The Rapidly Changing Kpop Industry
The explosion of the K-pop industry has led many young people to pursue a career as an
idol.
There are now even more K-pop idols from various countries worldwide, and many debuts at a
very young age.
New Jean, IVE, NMIXX, and YG's upcoming girl group all debuted at under 20 years old.
Therefore, the law of survival in this industry is even more rapid than in any other profession.
The popularity of K-pop idols usually declines after a few years due to the influx of many
young, talented, and beautiful idols.
Even well-established groups struggle to surpass the legendary seven-year milestone.
Additionally, maintaining their popularity after two years of mandatory military service
is also challenging for male idols.
Becoming a K-pop idol in Korea requires patience, faith, and passion from young people.
We hope this video is helpful for those dreaming of becoming a famous K-pop idol in Korea.
Please subscribe and turn on notifications to get updates on our new videos!