How is the life of a Korean idol?

How is the life of a Korean idol? We know that you are a K-Pop lover and that your idols are your favorite and most special celebrities. However, did you ever wonder how is the life of a Korean idol? Not everything you see is real. K-Pop idols indeed live a life of luxury and privilege, but did you know that artists undergo extreme conditions to achieve fame? The life of a K-Pop Idol is not all rosy. It is far from that since they have to pay a very high price to become famous. If you are interested in learning more about the life of a Korean idol, stay with us and keep reading!

How does the K-Pop industry work?

K-Pop works through companies. These companies own several groups and soloists, and they not only produce their artists but are in control of their careers.

It includes planning, producing, and distributing records. Control the music, licenses, provide agents and managers, organize events or control their social networks.

It means that the same label does the entire music production process, the songwriters, the engineers, the managers, the agents, the choreographers, the design coordinators, the image consultants, the vocal instructors, dance and acting, marketing executives. They all work for the same company.

What is the life of a K-Pop trainee like in detail?

When you wonder how the life of a Korean idol is, you should also consider what the life of a trainee is like. The life of a trainee is not easy either.

The trainees live in small apartments, get subjected to almost military training daily, and receive constant monitoring for height, weight, and figure. They have to sacrifice their freedom, in addition to being prohibited from a lot of things.

For example, many times they are not allowed to use social networks or have romantic relationships. During this period, they don’t only get rated by their level of dancing and singing. They are also under psychological pressure and get hurt and discouraged to “know their emotional strength.”

How are the contracts of a K-Pop trainee?

The contracts that trainees sign when they are as young as 12 or 13 have long-term consequences.

Some contracts say that they will have to return all the money that the company has invested in them.

And it is clear, children, blinded by the dream of becoming great celebrities, sign without thinking twice. In Korea, these contracts are called slave contracts and consist of long-term unfair agreements between aspiring idols and companies.

These working conditions have the consequence that idols do not have good profits, since almost all the money they earn through their efforts goes to the label.

What is the lifestyle of K-Pop idols?

Once the training period ends and the trainees manage to debut in groups or as soloists, the difficulties do not end. You could say that K-Pop idols are products of their companies. Labels treat them like puppets and only care about expanding and selling more and more without worrying about the health of their artists.

All record companies, both western and eastern, will have the purpose of selling and making money since they are still companies that sell a product.

But the difference between the two is that western record companies, currently and for the most part, let the artist be themself: they let them do whatever they want with their life, their appearance, their music, and their career.

Instead, in K-Pop labels, many idols get controlled and cannot do anything as simple as cut their hair or grow a beard without approval from the company. They have to ask permission for almost everything they do. Labels are also in control of their career. Many idols can’t decide things like when to release new music and when not. On many occasions, they don’t even let them write the songs.

How hard is the life of a K-Pop Idol?

If you’ve ever wondered how is the life of a Korean idol, you’ve probably wondered how hard that kind of life is. You should know that many times, the K-Pop industry trains idols to be and behave like robots.

They assign them a personality that they have to follow. Also, they tell them how they have to be physically, what to do and what not to do.

For example, talking about physical appearance, K-Pop girls are required to weigh 50kg or less. To reach this weight, idols have to undergo long periods of hardly eating and have to go on extreme and dangerous diets.

Furthermore, K-Pop idols have a lot of bans too. Some of the things that are prohibited from doing one of the most famous K-Pop groups today, such as Blackpink, are: driving, drinking alcohol, having a partner, getting tattoos, or traveling on their own without authorization, and much more. Idols are required to be perfect, flawless machines, practically inhuman when they are not. They are human like us.

How many hours do K-Pop idols work?

When wondering how is the life of a Korean idol, you can find an answer by knowing how many hours they work a day. A K-Pop Idol, when in training, can work up to 18 hours without a break. They do so to improve their skills. Although it is many hours, many trainees accept it because they want to achieve their dream. As you can see, the life of a trainee and a K-Pop idol is difficult. After knowing how the life of a Korean idol is, can you notice that it is not as pleasant as you thought?

How is the life of a Korean idol? It is not as easy and glamorous as you imagine it to be. The consequences of all the pressure that Korean idols receive from both the public and the company can be seen reflected in themselves since most end up developing mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, or eating disorders. Some have even committed suicide. What do you think about the lives of K-Pop idols? Tell us in the comments. And visit this blog every day if you like everything related to the Korean wave.