South Koreas Entertainment Industry: Genius, or Pure Evil?

With the demand for skilled entertainers increasing, South Korean entertainment
companies have begun to neglect their trainees. They work them like dogs and have them sign
their lives away into contracts. As one of Koreas biggest exports, the government should be
taking care of these idols who give everything they have to their companies who in turn treat
their employees like animals. Nothing will stop these companies from squeezing out as much
money as they possibly can from these idols unless the government steps in to start regulating
these entertainers activities and contracts. "To the South Korean government and people alike,
K-pop and its representative idols are arguably most treasured assets." (Choi 24) Every person
should be treated fairly, and especially in a work place. As public figures, many people grow
attached to these idols, which is where the term comes from, and it hurts the fans to see their
idols in pain. The mistreatment of these idols is happening mainly due to the poor control of their
contracts as well as their companys mindset of because they signed up for it, they will do
anything to achieve their dream; however that does not make the awful treatment justified and
there should be specific measures taken to solve this.
The organization of the K-pop industry is complicated and at times it can even be
confusing, as a result of this many people become lost easily. Firstly, anyone who wishes to
pursue a career in the industry and become a so called idol will first have to audition at an
entertainment company, just like anywhere else in the world. However, at this point things begin
to change. Although there are other ways to make it into the K-pop industry, as Howard explains
"Contests such as campus song festivals encouraged fresh-faced amateur singers to present new
material; compilation albums were produced, and scouts signed new talent both for the music
industry and for potential media careers." (III Par. 9) After an individual auditions and if they are

accepted they will begin their life as a trainee after signing a contract with the company. This
trainee system is unique to South Korea, and has been both praised for its effectiveness as well as
criticized for the grueling amount of work it demands from a single person. A hopefuls trainee
period can last anywhere from two to seven years, and they have no say as to how long they will
train; it is completely up to the company to determine the training length. As Waitt states in her
article, Trainees are expected to come to the company building immediately after school ends
around 3pm, and then practice until around 11:30 or 12pm at night, giving them just enough time
to make it home before the subways shut down. (Par 10) This is a prime example of how
demanding the companies training regimen is.
During this time period, the trainees have no source of income, so their company must
provide for them, they do this by charging the individual with trainee fees. These fees account
for the trainees vocal, dance, variety, acting, foreign language, and possibly instrumental
training as well as their housing, transportation, schooling, daily expenses and everything else
the trainee needs in order to become an idol. While this may sound like a wonderful system, it
has its flaws; once the trainee makes their debut they are required to pay all of this money back
to the company through their albums sales and other activities. Unfortunately for the entertainer,
this means they will not receive any sort of pay for their hard work until all of their fees have
been paid back to the company. On top of having to pay back a massive amount of money
already, since the idols have no income, the company will still provide for their housing and
daily expenses which adds to what they already owe to the company. It can take years for idols to
completely pay off these trainee fees, and that is only if they become popular enough to make a
decent amount of money for their company. Nearly every entertainment company in South Korea

goes by this trainee system, as it brings in a massive amount of money for companies, especially
for the larger ones.
Once the idol finally makes their debut is where the real hard work begins. Often times
the singers and actors will get little to no sleep during this time period, simply because their
companies are going to try and promote them as much as they can within a window of about a
month. This time is crucial to getting the idols name out into the public and showcasing their
many talents they have trained so long to perfect. Though all of this will come at a price. On top
of this, they will be on strict diets and schedules and will be required to put on the best
performance possible multiple times a day. If that isnt stressful enough, be reminded that these
people are not getting paid for their work at this point.
As far as entertainment companies go, there are 3 main companies that everyone knows
of, commonly referred to as The Big Three. The Big Three consists of Star Museum
Entertainment (SM), YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment. Where SM had a market
capitalization of 780 billion won in 2013, YG Entertainmenthad a capitalization of 515 billion
won, and JYP [had a capitalization of] 120 billion won. (Howard V Par 2) Most of the
current popular K-pop groups come from one of these three companies, which shows just how
much power they wield. The biggest out of the three and the biggest record label in Korea is SM,
as Howard explains In 2002SM Entertainment, listed on Korea's KOSDAQ stock market,
then controlled around 70 stars. (I Par 4) They are known for their sketchy contract negotiations
and hold a reputation of having the most idols leave from the company due to unfair treatment.
Now that the basic structure of K-pop has been explained, here is where my argument
truly begins: the infamous slave contracts. The contract these men and women sign will outline
the details of the career they will be pursuing, or at least that is what they assume. An idol

initially signs a contract knowing that they will be made to work hard until and during their
debut as an entertainer, however, many things that are discussed during contract negotiations are
oftentimes changed later by the company without informing the performer. The term slave
contract comes from the famous 13 year contracts issued by some companies in the late 2000s
and early 2010s. These contracts control every aspect of the idols lives. Idols are even made to
preform even when they are sick. Sometimes the only time they have off is when theyre so
seriously injured that they must be hospitalized.
Once these idols sign the contract they basically give up any freedom regarding their
lives they once had. Essentially, their life will revolve around the contract for the next few years.
For attracting larger global audiences they quickly realized that there are two important facts,
namely 1) sex sells, and 2) songs must be sung at least partly in English. So in sharp contrast to
sexually modest Korean dramas, K-pop emphasizes sexuality. Both male and female entertainers
perform highly sexy dance routines, which are sometimes condemned by traditionalists as
"pornographic" or "lewd." (Hyun-Key, 144) The companies may make the idols perform in
ways that they may not be completely comfortable with, such as giving them a sexy concept.
Many companies will use the sexy concept with girl groups so they will sell more albums and
thus make more money for their company. The term sex sells applies well here. Some labels
will even go so far as to make the idol undergo plastic surgery to fit a more desirable look.
Not only is this a misrepresentation of what the idol is genuinely like as a person, flaws and all,
but this also gives the public and many impressionable teenagers an unrealistic expectation of
other people and themselves, which explains the term given to these performers. Currently
Girls' Generation is the most successful girl band; the nine members are all in their early 20s.
They are tall for Asian girls and all very slim with good figures. They all have long hair, dyed

brown, red and blond, as well as their natural black,

some straight and some waved. (Hyun-Key 148) (See
image to the left) Many young teenagers, male and
female, will have plastic surgery to attain the look of
K-pop idols, the most common procedures being jaw
filing and double eyelid surgery. On top of plastic
surgery, the fans will also dye their hair to match or
resemble their favorite idol instead of being happy with
who they are.

Before and after a double-eyelid surgery

Through contracts, an entertainers company is able to decide who the idols can and
cannot visit. Most times this includes their family. At most, the idols will only be able to spend
time with their family once or twice a year. Contracts monitor and control, replacing roles that
were formerly taken by government officials. Contracts restrict artists, but leave companies with
a free moral compass. (Howard, V. Para 5) The idols constantly mention in interviews that they
are unable to see their family members in person or even visit home on a semi-regular basis.

Many of these celebrities do not even get to spend holidays at home with their loved ones,
usually they are performing or preparing for a new album.
One may think, Why do the idols not just sue their company for unfair wages and
working conditions? Well, out of all the performers in the industry, only a handful have actually
been brave enough to challenge the giant companies in court. The most famous case is that of
TVXQ and S.M. Entertainment.
In 2010, three members from one of the most popular K-pop groups at the time filed a
lawsuit against their company, S.M., due to unfair treatment between the members, as well as
unequal to no pay. It was also discovered that their contract spanned 13 years, which is highly
illegal and entirely unfair to those involved. After a lawsuit against their agency SM
Entertainment in 2010 for the 13-year "slave contract," only two remain in the group, the other
three members having formed a new group called JYJ. (Hyun-Key, 145) This left a lasting
impact on the K-pop industry, as well as tarnished S.M.s reputation. The members of TVXQ
won the case and caught the attention of the Korean Fair Trade Commission (FTC) who are in
charge of regulating contracts and making sure idols are treated fairly. Contracts came under
close scrutiny in 2009, when three members of TVXQ (Dong Bang Sin Gi) took SM to court,
citing their 13-year contract as being too long, too restrictive, and too punitive, giving them too
little share in the profits. The court ruled in their favor, and a subsequent report found that 230
artists with 19 agencies had unlawful clauses in their contracts. (Howard, V. Para 5) This
lawsuit would start a mini revolution among K-pop idols, and would give others the courage to
call their companies out on their wrong doings.
If the Korean Government were to become involved like this once again the idols may
finally receive the respect they deserve. Entertainment companies police themselves, but are

more concerned with maximizing profits than reflecting public morals. (Howard, V. Par. 9) If a
new department were created specifically for the regulation of entertainment companies many of
the current problems could be solved or avoided completely. Through the FTC the problem of
slave contracts and unfair treatment will finally be able to be solved.
In recent years K-pop has received a lot of publicity, mainly thanks to Psys Gangnam
Style. "Even though Psy's connection with K-pop was tenuous, the 'Gangnam Style' syndrome
not only instanced the sheer distributive power of SNS, but also evidenced the creative
instinct/aptitude of fans in their use of SNS, on which globalization of K-pop is predicted" (Choi
page 28) It showed that K-pop does indeed have a global market, proving Chun wrong in his
statement that All other things being equal, it [foreign music] should compete less well with pop
music sung in ones native language. (501) This does not hold true with K-pop, as a large
percentage of its audience is that of an international standing. However, the problem with this is
that other entertainment companies from outside Korea could begin to take on the trainee and
restricting contract systems due to the amount of money it generates. If this toxic way of running
a company spreads to different parts of the world then it will be harder to fix to initial problem.
In contemporary Korean cinemas, TV dramas, and pop music, especially in the latter,
globalization is also evident. As we saw earlier, the stars follow the world trend in performance,
presentation and fashion, and emulate their Western compatriots. English is often used as lyrics
in songs. (Hyun-Key, 149)
As van Elteren states, The ongoing globalization of American culture and developments
regarding US regional cultures are likewise intertwined. (11) This shows that globalization can
also occur the other way around. The entertainment companies in Korea could look to other
companies around the world for examples on how to treat their employees. If this were to happen

the K-pop world could eventually create a less harmful environment for its workers. However,
the prospects for its [K-pops] survival and expansion are good because 1) it has great diversity
in style, genre and contents, as we have seen earlier, and 2) more importantly the Korean Wave
products incorporate the globalized culture whilst retaining the Asian features. (Hyun-Key, 150)
The globalization of K-pop can also occur as a positive thing, it just depends on which attributes
are taken from the Korean entertainment industry.
In conclusion, it is ultimately up to the Korean Government to fix this problem. It is
obvious from my research that the companies have ignored the fans and the general publics
opinions on the contracts. With the help of the government, there is a bright future for the K-pop
industry. There is also hope that the Hallyu Wave (The popularity of K-pop around the world)
will continue to spread, bringing a respectable image of the country itself and its entertainment
companies with it. Through this project I hope to show others what being an entertainer in a
country other than America is like and how poorly these people are being treated.

Works Cited
Choi, JungBong, Roald Maliangkay, and Ebooks Corporation. K-pop: The International Rise of
the Korean Music Industry. 2015. E-book.
Chun, Allen. "The Americanization Of Pop Culture In Asia?." Inter-Asia Cultural Studies 13.4
(2012): 495-506. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.

Howard, Keith. "Mapping K-Pop Past And Present: Shifting The Modes Of Exchange." Korea
Observer 45.3 (2014): 389.Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File. Web. 11 Mar.
2015.
Hyun-key Kim, Hogarth. "The Korean Wave: An Asian Reaction To Western-Dominated
Globalization." Perspectives On Global Development & Technology 12.1/2 (2013): 135151. Computer Source. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
van Elteren, Mel. "Learning Lessons From Teaching American Culture In Global Flux." Journal
Of American Culture 34.1 (2011): 3-12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
Waitt, Hannah. "The History of K-pop, Chapter 7: How to Make an Idol, Featuring Isak."
Moonroknews.com. MoonROK News, 3 Aug. 2014. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
Images Courtesy Of
http://static.pulsk.com/images/2013/01/28/510659732a2b1_510659732ae73.jpg
http://thethreewisemonkeys.com/2010/11/15/image-obsession-in-korea/