Extreme Dieting and Overwork...K-Pop Idols Facing Severe Health Deterioration

Idols at the forefront of the K-pop industry are confronting serious health crises due to extreme dieting restrictions and harsh working conditions. According to the research book “K-Pop: Idols in a Wonderland,” 8 out of 10 female K-pop trainees experience stopped menstruation as a result of extremely restrictive diets. Stress and lack of sleep also serve as major contributing factors. In 2023, Hyein, a member of NewJeans, revealed what she ate during a music video shoot. At the time 14 years old, she was surviving on just one slice of avocado, half a cherry tomato, and a single spoonful of rice. Momo, a 29-year-old member of TWICE, was instructed to lose 7 kg within one week before her debut in 2015, with the condition that she would not be allowed to join the group if she failed. She recalled, “I didn’t eat anything for a week and kept going to the gym. There wasn’t even a trace of water left in my body.” Beyond extreme dieting restrictions, idols are also exposed to exploitation caused by fan culture, where even time outside the stage is commodified. Continuous fan interaction is forced even outside performances through platforms like Bubble, live broadcasts, messaging services, and social media challenges. At fan signings, idols are required to perform unreasonable costumings and acts of cuteness beyond normal conversation. It has become routine for them to wear costumes brought by fans to mimic the attire of specific professions or to don absurd items. Idols who handle such “fan-signing demands” well gain popularity, but those who fail to fulfill all requests may face criticism from some extreme fans. On average, Korean fans spend over $2,000 per year on idol-related activities. In addition to purchasing albums, photo sets, and souvenirs, economic burdens increase due to sending paid messages via digital platforms and attending world tours. K-pop-related products such as lightsticks, photo books, and memorabilia are expected to create a global market worth approximately $2.5 billion by 2025. Even during commutes, idols remain targets of fan demands. They are implicitly forced to respond to fans’ stares and waves while in vehicles, and if they do not lower the windows or make eye contact, criticisms such as “they seem unwell” or “they are rude” spread online. It is also common for idols to be insulted merely for not lowering their vehicle windows. Experts point out that a proper distance is necessary between idols and fans. Continuously providing all content demanded by fans is equivalent to forcing idols into constant 24/7 labor. Within the cultural and artistic community, there is growing demand for fundamental improvements to the reality of idols under the “zero tolerance” structure. Park Min-soo, chairman of the preparatory committee, emphasized, “Prohibitions on holding other jobs, management of accommodation, and mandatory reporting of daily life already imply a user-dependent relationship. Recognizing their status as workers is the starting point.”