Rising Number of Elementary School-Age Debutants in K-POP Sparks Controversy Over Child Exploitation Driven by Age Competition

The essential requirements to become an idol in the K-POP industry are changing. In addition to traditional qualifications such as skill, appearance, and talent, “age” is increasingly becoming a crucial competitive factor. While the average age for idol debut in Korea is reportedly around 20 years old, this standard has recently dropped sharply. With more successful cases of young debuts, such as BoA, BTS’s Jung Kook, and IVE’s Jang Won-young, the industry has deeply entrenched the belief that “the younger the age, the higher the commercial value.” The problem is that there has been an increase in cases of elementary school students debuting in recent years. Idols like UNIS’s Im Seo-won and tripleS’s Seo A are debuting at an age where they are still in elementary school, and most newly formed groups consist of minors as their members. The audition program “Under Fifteen” ignited this debate. This show, which only allows girls under 15 to compete for a girl group debut, became the center of intense controversy even before it aired. With many viewing the K-POP training system starting at such a young age as child exploitation, the fact that the entertainment industry sought to commercialize it caused a significant shock. Fortunately, its broadcast has been temporarily suspended due to public backlash. According to Lee Jun-sang, CEO of Chili Music Korea with 30 years of experience in the music industry, one must start training as a trainee by at least the upper grades of elementary school to increase the chances of debuting. This illustrates how structural the entry of elementary school students into the industry is. Children are at an age when they can dream of and pursue anything. The glamorous idols seen in media become the dreams and aspirations of many peers. However, becoming an idol trainee is not merely a process of discovering one’s aptitude. Trainees must dedicate all their time outside of school to practice, and sometimes they are even forced to make irreversible choices such as dropping out of school. A more fundamental issue is whether children who are still in elementary school fully understand what they must endure in this process, the pros and cons of being an idol, or what happens if they fail. Research shows that minors, whose cognitive abilities are still developing, lack the capacity to objectively assess their situation and comprehend variables. This means that children before puberty have immature situational awareness. It implies a high likelihood that young trainees and idols enter the industry without enough time to think about their future. Parents’ influence in this process cannot be ignored either. According to people in the drama and film industries, children’s activities often stem more from parents’ ambition than from the children’s own wishes. It is expected that the K-POP industry is no different. Although a child’s opinion may not be completely disregarded, how many children would actually say no when asked, “Why not try becoming an entertainer?” after being shown celebrities on television? The problem is that the suffering these children must endure once they enter the industry is not adequately considered. Many debuting idols have publicly talked about their difficult trainee experiences. The late Sulli moved to Seoul alone in the fifth grade of elementary school and lived in a training facility. How lonely must her trainee life have been, separated from her family at an age when she still needed her parents’ care? A well-known story about her mother becoming upset after Sulli was criticized for not being good at washing her hair and having an odor further touched many people’s hearts. Diet is a recurring theme in stories about trainee life. Getting scolded for eating secretly to avoid being seen by staff is commonplace, and MAMAMOO’s Wheein revealed that she once fainted from taking appetite suppressants on an empty stomach. Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon also said she tried to run away from the training facility due to the pain of dieting during her trainee days. Although starting training at a young age increases the chances of debuting, the suffering one must endure is even greater. This is the most contradictory aspect of the K-POP industry. The scene in HYBE America and Geffen Records’ global girl group audition where contestant Lexi voluntarily withdrew and said, “I concluded that this process is not right for me,” was a small act of resistance against Korea’s ability-based mindset and excessive competition system. In an industry that forces everyone to “prove your abilities,” it is time to consider both the future of K-POP and the human rights of children.