K-Pop Builds Stars With Intense Training

Why this is here: Nine Muses member training lasted up to seven or eight years with no guarantee of ever performing on a large stage.

Hark Joon Lee and Dal Yong Jin detail the rigorous system behind South Korea’s globally successful K-pop industry. Their book, K-pop idols, examines how aspiring performers are treated as products from the moment they enter artist agencies. The authors note the industry has evolved from a secretive system to one partially visible through reality television and talent shows, like the Netflix series The Academy of Pop.

The K-pop model prioritizes creating marketable performers for international audiences, demanding years of intense training in singing, dancing, and image control. While the system has generated global successes like BTS—whose recent tour could earn over $1.8 billion—it also carries a significant psychological cost, evidenced by tragic suicides within the industry.

Lee and Jin acknowledge recent changes, including the inclusion of psychologists within agencies and new government regulations, but emphasize the core competitive structure remains. The authors also point to the rise of virtual idols, accepted by younger audiences, as a possible future direction. The work continues to understand the balance between manufactured image and genuine artistic expression.