Looking at the dark side of K-pop
Starting young
Potential stars are poached from dance classes and competitions at a young age and put straight into rigorous training programs. They leave their families and live with fellow trainees.
"Slave contracts"
When they are signed by a label, this entails contracts that can be more than a decade long. They are often called "slave contracts" because they leave the future star with very little control or financial gain.
Harsh training
The training schedules are all consuming and unforgiving. The trainees get up for dance practice before school at 5:30 am, and spend the rest of the day dancing, singing, learning how to walk, how to model, and taking English lessons. Apparently it's common to pass out from exhaustion.
Band members from Pop Crayon were made to wear 4 kg (9 lbs) sandbags on their feet during dance practice, so their movements would look lighter when they dance on stage.
Beauty standards
If a prospective star has features that are considered lacking, they’ll quite likely be given plastic surgery to correct them. Both male and female stars undergo extensive surgeries without shame to reach the ideal standard.
Eating disorders
The intense focus on body image, along with daily weigh-ins and diet restrictions enforced by many record labels, has resulted in eating disorders in many K-pop stars.
Himchan from B.A.P. has also struggled with eating disorders for years. He was reportedly rushed to the hospital in 2017 with a broken rib caused by malnutrition and sudden rapid weight loss.
Restrictions on relationships
K-pop band members aren’t usually allowed to date while under contract. Record companies theorize that being single makes them appear more available to fans, resulting in a more dedicated and lucrative fan base. Some contracts even have a relationship clause specifically forbidding dating.
Exo's official fan group made a statement that they wanted him removed from the band, as his selfish actions were damaging the band's reputation. They claimed they would protest if the record label didn't take action.
LGBTQ restrictions
The restrictions on LGBTQ stars are even more oppressive. They are strongly advised not to come out publicly due to the impact it would have on their personal ‘brand,’ and therefore their value. Only one K-pop star has come out as gay so far, and not without controversy.
Many fans enjoy the fantasy of same-sex relationships within bands. Female fans write romantic fan fiction about their favorite boy band members. The bands are encouraged to be close in public, almost flirtatious with each other, but never to cross the line. It must remain a fantasy to be acceptable.
Toxic fandom
When Lisa from Blackpink did a photo shoot in a café in Bangkok, the owner attempted to sell all of the cutlery she touched, as well as the toilet seat she used.
K-Pop deaths
Sulli, a former member of f(x), went against the K-pop norms. That is to say, she didn’t hide her relationship with her boyfriend, and sometimes didn't wear a bra. She committed suicide in 2019, after suffering serious cyber abuse from a toxic fan base. She began her career at the age of 11 and died at 25.
While women are attacked more viciously on social media, the pressures of the industry impact everyone. Kim Jong-hyun from SHINee took his own life in 2017. His suicide note was released by a friend. He spoke of being engulfed by depression, and implored readers: "Please tell me I did a good job."
