Exposed Structural Issues in the K-pop Industry: Severe Exploitation of Female Idols and Poor Compensation

As the K-pop industry gains worldwide attention, its hidden structural problems are coming to light. The publication of the book “K-pop, the Country of Idols” featuring testimonies from over 40 idols and trainees fully revealed the industry’s unfair realities. The most fundamental issue in the idol industry lies in the trainee system. Minors are forced to work as “trainees”—neither students nor workers—enduring years of relentless dieting, strict control, and repetitive practice. As a result, many suffer severe physical harm such as becoming emaciated or experiencing halted menstruation, alongside widespread mental health deterioration. Some idols testified that even after 10 years in the industry, dieting and stomach cramps remained a daily norm. Problems persist even after debut. Under a system where idols must serve at least seven years before gaining contractual freedom, they often perform concerts and events without personal time and rarely receive proper compensation. Few agencies provide clear details about how much idols earn or spend, and the fact that even top singer Lee Seung-gi received no payment from his agency caused shock. More than a decade after the “slave contract” scandal involving TVXQ!, little has changed in reality. The sexual objectification of female idols is also severe. Female idols face a much higher level of sexual objectification compared to male idols. Choreography often includes moves like “twerkking” or pressing bodies against the floor, which can be linked to depictions of sexual acts. After the Waterbom incident, the “formula for success” for female idols became wearing revealing outfits. The severity of sexual harassment comments directed at female idols is incomparable to that targeting male idols. Discriminatory treatment of female fans at fan meetings was also exposed openly. At DAY6’s fan meeting last July, female fans were required to submit their school records during identity verification and had to wait for a confirmation call from an event staff member after providing their phone numbers. Testimonies suggest that male fans performing the same actions were not even stopped from using cameras, unlike female fans, despite the contrast with the practice of allowing ticket purchases using only the last digits of phone numbers in musicals. Lee Jong-im, an instructor at Kyung Hee University, attributed such discrimination to “the critical perspective of older generations.” She analyzed that societal biases exist, where female fans are belittled as those who “cling to idols,” and singers are called “imitators.” What is even more concerning is that misogyny is unconsciously reproduced among female fans themselves. Conflicts that started over controversies involving certain male idols have turned into factional battles among female fans, with misogynistic terms like “zoomma,” “nammisae,” and “musuri” being used as tools to attack one another. Regarding accusations that lyrics from past self-composed songs by a member of the boy group featured in the animated film “K-pop Demon Hunters” were misogynistic, some female fans defended them, leading to disputes among fans. Among teenagers, strict beauty standards for female idols are also being imposed. Extreme diets named after famous female celebrities such as “Jang Won-young’s diet” and “IU’s diet”—involving surviving a day on just one apple and one sweet potato—are being shared. As with IVE member Liz, comments like “You’ve lost a lot of weight” and “You’re more beautiful now” are frequently directed at female idols, continuing to force them to maintain thin bodies and engage in excessive grooming. There is growing demand for self-correction of misogyny within fan communities to address these issues. It is urgent to create a healthy culture where fans, as fellow women, recognize how insulting such terms are and refrain from attacking each other out of support for idols. Experts emphasize that the more these problems are ignored, the more the industry will shrink, and that for the current K-pop craze to lead to genuine development, structural reforms are needed to make both idols and fans happier.