What are the difficulties of being a Korean pop idol and to what extent do they outweigh the benefits? Francesca Padget 2017.02.20 1 Introduction The era of Kpop began in the 1990s with the debut of ‘Seotaiji and the Boys’, who brought a new audience to music: teenagers. The role of idols is not only to sing but to entertain; commonly participating in other fields such as Kdramas and films, attending fan events, performing in musicals, 1 variety shows, and even moving across genre in their music. At present there are more than 1,000 active entertainment companies in Korea, with the “Big 3” being SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment. The ultimate aim of Kpop is to make money, but the songs themselves reflect the hopes, dreams, and problems of the younger generation at which they are aimed. These artists are usually recruited from a young age, either through auditions or scouting, and given training. Once they are deemed to be ready, they debut into the Kpop world and perform until they are considered no longer a viable commodity. This lifestyle requires a mentality that most Koreans adopt; that hard work, and only hard work, is the key to success. This report will explore the creation of a Kpop star, and the treatment they receive throughout their career. There will be a focus on the contracts idols sign, reasons for idols suing their companies, as well as the training and treatment of the idols especially regarding their freedom and exploitation. There is also the aspect of health and body image which is key in the entrainment industry, and the injuries sustained throughout idols’ career. Idols’ fans also greatly influence their lives, both supporting idols and creating more problems for them. 2 Contracts ‘Slave contracts’ is a term associated with the contract an aspiring Kpop singer signs when joining a com- pany. But to what extent is it a ‘slave contract?’ A slave contract is defined as a contract listed with terms and conditions that the artists deemed not fair or unjust. The contract works by starting a debt when the artist signed on, that grows as time goes by. This debt includes all expenses paid by the company: rent, food, electricity, haircuts, clothing, and all staff payments. This means that trainees’ debts are huge, and any money they make as an idol goes towards paying back their company. However, the company does not need to be transparent about the debt, known as the BEP (Break-even Point), meaning that most artists have no way of knowing how much they have paid off, or how much they are making. 2 As the trainees of a group progress, with each new album and promotion period, those costs are re-added to the BEP meaning that the debt is constantly growing, so it can take years for groups to make the break-even point, if ever. 3 There have been many cases of artists taking their company to court over ‘unfair treatment’, which includes distribution of profits, length of contracts, and intensive schedules. In 2009, 3 members of ‘DBSK’, who were the first major group to take their company to court, cited a 13-year contract as one of the reasons, with penalties of several trillion KRW if they broke said contract. 4 They also cited unfair distribution of profits, 5 and excessively long schedules which only allowed them 3-4 hours of sleep per day. No Minwoo 1 E Kim. JYJ’s Junsu cast in Musical Adaption of ‘Death Note’. Accessed: 2016.11.22. 2015. URL: http://www.soompi. com/2015/04/05/jyjs-junsu-cast-in-musical-adaptation-of-death-note/. 2 eatyourkimchi. TL;DR Kpop Slave Contract. Accessed: 2016.11.23. 2014. URL: http : / / www . eatyourkimchi . com / kpop-slave-contracts/. 3 AllKpop. Boyfriend have yet to turn a profit? 2013. URL: http://allkpop.com/article/2013/02/boyfriend- have-yet-to-turn-a-profit. 4 See Appendix A Article 11 5 S Han. TVXQ to Stick Together Despite Legal Dispute. Accessed: 2016.12.07. 2009. URL: http://www.koreatimes.co. kr/www/news/special/2009/08/178_49540.html. 1