Why I quit living as a K-pop idol

[waves-of-light.livejournal.com]

You have your mobile phone confiscated. Your parents' visit is timed. An extreme diet is part of your life that comes with a 10 daily weigh-ins. On top of this, you practice dancing and singing for hours on end. Even when you are sick, you have to go on stage and perform in exactly the manner your agent wants. There is no freedom or privacy.

This was the life of Kong Yoo-jin, 19, former lead vocalist for K-pop girl band BONUSbaby. At 17, Kong debuted with the album "Urikiri" ― meaning "all by ourselves" in Korean ― in January 2017. But she left the six-piece group in September 2018, to devote herself to studies. The band has stopped performing since then.





source: The Korea Times & THE KOREA TIMES

Comments

[timetobegin.livejournal.com]

I kept thinking of different active idols all the while she was talking.....

Its just not good to go through such mentally and physically extreme conditions at an age where your body and brain are literally still developing :/ good thing she left and I hope she'll achieve her dreams!

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

I damaged my vocal cords because I had to change my voice according to the groups' image."

Shoutout to Rose, Momo, Hani and all the other girls that have to change their voices just to sound cuter.

One pack of soy milk the entire day.... crazy.


I feel like idols from nugu companies have it worse than those from big agencies.

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

I think even rookies in big agencies have it better simply because they don't have to hustle as hard as nugu idols. I know some people will come at me but it's a fact that debuting with SM/JYPE/YG (and I assume Big Hit) automatically gives you attention, popularity and in some cases cf deals. Kids from nugu companies are lucky if they get invited to variety shows.

[http://users.livejournal.com/psychedelico_/]

trainees from big agencies are still subjected to the same kind of abuse (for example momo, gdragon and 4minute have all talked about starving before) but they have a greater chance of making it big and breaking even faster. it does seem like idols get a bit more freedom once they become established and start making steady money.

kids from smaller agencies hardly ever break even, so they remain at the mercy of their CEOs and even get manipulated into thinking their failures are purely their own, e.g. secret talking about how TS promised to move them out of their nightmare dorm only if they won first place on a music show.

[theweebdream.livejournal.com]

IA with your comment about nugu companies vs big agencies. I feel like whenever videos like these come out it’s always from “failed” idols that tend to be from nugu companies so their policies tend to be on the extreme end.

[senshicalico.livejournal.com]

i get the feeling that so many smaller companies are ran by Actual Sociopaths or those who literally have no idea what the FUCK they're doing / know a gd thing about how bodies work. They just see it as an "easy" way to make (or launder) money or to gain access to young men and women for perverted shit. Their actual health, let alone any success, doesn't matter.

[dior-chic.livejournal.com]

Mte

[myrrhcat.livejournal.com]

it's crazy to me that nugu companies put their idols thru this. like, if you're from a big company and the group has an actual shot at success? maybe. but literally what is the point of starving and abusing these kids when they're not gonna make it big either way. i can only assume that like senshicalico said, the companies are run by sadists.

[http://users.livejournal.com/psychedelico_/]

the entertainment industry (in any country) sells "dreams" and "riches" to young kids but in reality it's just another way for men to control women*. from controlling the idols to manipulating the (mostly) female fanbase, it's all about using women to line the pockets of men. i'm tired of it and want to do more to help idols gain freedom from the companies who don't give a shit about them.

*(inb4 male idols have it bad too)