The Shadows of the K-Pop Industry: Exploitation and Inequality Hidden Behind the Glitz

As K-Pop emerges as a global cultural phenomenon, the dark aspects of its industry are coming to light. Growing numbers of accounts describe a systematic structure of exploitation and control that begins even during the Trainee phase. Jeon Da-hyun, the author who won a Gold Remi Award in the New Media Interactive Entertainment category at the 58th Houston Film Festival last year through a series of investigative reports, recently published her book *K-Pop: The Wonderland of Idols*. In this work, she interviews over 40 individuals—including idols, Trainees, industry insiders, fans, researchers, lawyers, and lawmakers—to examine the issues within the K-Pop industry from multiple perspectives and explore potential solutions. The most significant characteristic of the K-Pop industry is that idols, or people themselves, are treated as “products.” Numerous children aspire to become idols and attempt to join Trainee programs, but the process is filled with pain and endurance far beyond what can be described as mere training. Under constant dieting, strict control, and repetitive practice, these teenage children spend years in the status of Trainees, neither students nor workers. As a result, cases of severe malnutrition, stopped menstruation, and damaged psychological health are widespread. Even those who debut as idols and appear successful often suffer due to unfair contracts and unclear payment terms. More than a decade has passed since the “slave contract” controversy involving TVXQ!, yet the reality has changed little. Idols must serve for at least seven years before they can be freed from their contracts, and it is difficult to receive proper compensation even when performing in concerts and events without any personal time. Most agencies do not disclose exactly how much idols earn or how much they spend. The fact that top singer Lee Seung-gi also received no payment from his agency caused shock. Meanwhile, Lee Hee-ju’s recently released first short story collection, *Crimy (You) Love*, raises literary questions about the ethical issues in the idol industry. In her award-winning work *My Favorite Child*, she uses a fictional scenario in which a fan purchases an idol’s sperm for 100 million won to conceive, arguing that “idols selling their humanity or private, intimate aspects reflects today’s society.” Lee Hee-ju said, “There are various perspectives on idols and fandom culture depending on how one views them. It can be approached positively in terms of its economic impact, as well as as a cultural phenomenon.” The globalization of the K-Pop industry is also exacerbating exploitation issues. The global girl group *KATSEYE*, jointly produced by HYBE and Geffen Records, consists of members aged 17 to 23 from the United States, Switzerland, the Philippines, and South Korea. They are exposed to the K-Pop industry’s culture of “meeting every expectation perfectly” and cannot expect the rest or creative freedom allowed to Western pop artists. Current K-Pop artists are expected to release new albums at least every six months, placing extreme pressure on producers and managers. Experts point out that these problems grow worse the longer they are ignored. They emphasize that by pooling wisdom to solve these issues, K-Pop can undoubtedly develop further, and most importantly, the idols and fans who enjoy K-Pop can become happier.