Korea - the "idol training furnace"

"To become a successful K-pop idol, you need courage, passion, discipline and luck," Patti Sunio wrote on SCMP, in an article about her journey to becoming an idol.

First, young talents need to be signed to a company as trainees. According to Koreaboo, many children in Korea apply as early as age 10, attending an average of 30 auditions before being signed to a trainee contract. Following the globalization trend of the K-pop industry, investors are expanding the casting process globally, creating opportunities for children from many other countries.

Lisa from Blackpink is an example. She was the only one to pass YG Entertainment’s audition in Thailand, and the first foreign trainee to debut at YG. In addition to the pressure of training, foreign teenagers have to overcome language and cultural barriers to integrate. Management companies will pay for all expenses including housing, training, food and more. The average salary for a Kpop trainee is around $50,000 a year.

Being a trainee is just the first step in the difficult journey to becoming an idol. During the average seven-year training period, management companies evaluate talent, ability to integrate into a group, and ability to handle pressure. In addition to singing and dancing, they must learn foreign languages, manage their image, respond to the media, communicate with colleagues, and maintain an ideal weight. In addition, many companies require trainees to pledge not to use illegal drugs, drink and drive, and get involved in sex scandals. "Cultivating K-pop stars is a comprehensive education for the whole person," wrote Korean-American journalist Euny Hong in The Paris Review.

Many teenagers spend their youth as trainees, looking for the opportunity to debut. Bigbang's G-Dragon spent 11 years training - 5 years with SM Entertainment and 6 years at YG. Many K-pop idols also spent long training periods such as Jihyo (TWICE, 10 years), Heo Chan Mi (10 years), Jennie (Blackpink, 6 years), Suho (EXO, 6 years).

As trainees, they can use social media, do other things like make commercials, music videos, and model, but they still have to follow the company's rules. Based on regular evaluations, the management agency will decide when they are ready to debut. When he was a judge on Idol Producer, EXO's Lay talked about the competition process before debuting with the group: "Out of 120 people, they picked 100 and then continued to eliminate 60 to 24. Then from 24 people, they picked the final 12. Every week, one trainee left."

While filming 24/365 with Black Pink, Jennie said that she and her friends usually went to bed at 2am every day, after being exhausted from singing, dancing and foreign language exercises. In a CNA report, Yanagi Mizuha (Japanese) said that she did not eat breakfast, only ate salad for lunch, skipped dinner, practiced day and night but in the end still did not fulfill her dream.

According to allkpop, In Jin Woong - one of the famous idol training teachers - said that each year, only 10% of trainees make it to debut. "They enter the entertainment industry when they are 8, 9 or 10 years old, train for about 7 years and debut at the age of 15 or 16, at a stage where their values ​​have not yet been formed. All they see are older girls and boys dieting, singing, dancing. To them, that is normal," the teacher said.

He also commented that many talented trainees were not selected. Even though they had good looks and good skills, they were still eliminated if they were not suitable for the new project. "For example, if you are a good dancer and a good singer. You have a unique image like Jennie or N0:ZE but the company wants to form a cute group like A Pink, you will not be selected no matter how talented you are. Moreover, not all companies have new projects every year. You may have to wait for the next 4-5 years and become too old," said In Jin Woong.

For those who did not debut, In Jin Wong said they had a hard time reintegrating back into normal life because they lacked basic knowledge and social skills. Most of them did not go to university and were busy with training schedules from morning to night. Others then worked as dancers or dance teachers.

Each member of a Kpop group is assigned a specific role from their trainee days. They are assigned the position of main vocalist, main dancer, rapper, depending on their ability. Jennie (Blackpink) said she likes singing but was asked to become a rapper.

In addition to releasing albums, holding concerts, and meeting fans, management companies create attraction for their idols through TV shows and interviews. They are allowed to develop their own personalities and colors, bringing appeal to the group. For example, Winner's Mino is known by many fans for his unique fashion sense and love of comedy, while 2NE1's Park Bom is an idol who likes to rebel.

According to Seoulspace, SM was the first to create groups with many members such as Super Junior and SNSD. Creating a large group helps the management unit control the artists easily. Each person is built with a different style, giving fans many options. If there is a member who is more prominent and attractive, the company will promote the remaining members to create balance. In addition, an idol leaving a large group will not affect the overall activities.

Despite always appearing with a perfect, luxurious image, Kpop idols do not earn as much money as the audience thinks. Seoulspace analyzed that many entertainment companies take up to 90% of the revenue, while the artists enjoy the remaining 10%. For example, if they earn 1 million USD, they only receive 100,000 USD. For a group with up to 20 members like NCT, this number is even divided among each person, not to mention taxes.

According to VnExpress