WITCI Research Portfolio SHR4C007R~001 

The music related profession I have chosen is a K-Pop idol. A K-Pop idol is typically a Korean citizen but can also be other Asian ethnicities like for example Chinese, Japanese or even Thai, who join an entertainment company that trains them in the art of singing and dancing on stage as a group. These companies hold auditions every so often to a specific age group, usually younger teenage years so that it gives them time to train these future idols. The training period can range from even 1 year to even 5+ years; it just depends on how good you are and if you fit the concepts for the final lineup for a group. A lot of the time, these trainees are put into a survival show that uses a public voting system to determine which trainees make the final lineup for a group. K-Pop groups are typically categorized into girl groups and boy groups with the occasional co-ed group. Usually, each group would have a name for their fandom, for example the boy group Enhypen’s fandom name is ENGENE, and most of the time they have a specific light stick unique to their group that fans can bring along to concerts or fan events. Some of the leading companies in the industry right now are Hybe Entertainment, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment with some the most popular groups right now being BTS, Blackpink, Enhypen and Twice.  

What are the (academic and professional) qualifications and/or experience required to enter the profession? 

To become a K-pop idol, there aren’t any specific academic qualifications needed to enter the profession. However, to be able to join a company in the first place and debut, you need exceptional talent in singing, dancing or rapping, a strong stage presence, dedication to years of rigorous training and often adhere to certain beauty and appearance standards. By the time these trainees have debut, depending on how old they are, they are generally required to attend high school, but they often attend specialized art schools like SOPA or Hanlim, because these offer more flexible schedules to accommodate their demanding training and performance schedules, allowing them to attend still attend classes. Though sometimes they can drop out or get a GED (General Education Development) due to intense schedules while others balance both education and their idol careers. For foreign trainees will need the Korean language skills and cultural understanding which is normally learnt during the trainee days and in terms of education, they often have flexible options like international schools, virtual schooling or again specialized schools. 

While there aren’t any specific academic qualifications needed, there is a tough and grueling process to actually becoming an idol. A basic outline of that process is this: 

1. Street casting or agency auditions- street casting is literally being scouted on the street by a rookie development team that looks for new talent. They approach people to cast them if they think their appearance “matches the image of the idol group they are planning” (Creatrip, 2021). However, just because you’ve been offered a position through this specific process, this doesn’t mean you can become a trainee straight away as there are contracts that are written up after passing a basic audition and camera test. If you aren’t scouted through this way, you can submit an audition to companies themselves through self-tapes and head and full body shots. One final way to enter an agency is through specific academies that prepare you to be an idol. If an academy is closely connected to an agency, they can recommend students or agencies watch evaluation videos from the academy. 

2. Trainee days- after passing an audition, it takes can take months to years of rigorous training to debut. During this time, you are trained in various fields such as singing, dancing, acting, media training, foreign languages, perfecting your idol persona, etc. A lot of the time, even if you have trained for almost 10 years, there’s a chance you might not get the chance to debut at all if you don’t fit the image of an idol and can get dropped from an agency all together. 

3. If you managed to end up in the final line up for a group, you undergo some final pieces of training as a group and sometimes get to do some promotional content that will lead up to your debut. 

What knowledge, skills and personal qualities/attributes are needed for success within the profession? 

Your singing/rapping and dancing abilities are what lays out the groundwork to becoming an idol. On the other hand, you also need to develop performance skills, stage presence, and communication skills through training. Even being able to sing and dance in perfect synchronization is extremely important when you’re in a group. Some personal qualities that are also helpful are dedication, discipline, mental and physical resilience, a positive personality and humility, and politeness. Idols need to be able to interact with fans in a polite manner to strengthen fan-musician bonds and be able to work with staff behind the scenes to build a positive reputation for themselves. K-pop idols are some of the most hardworking people you’ll find in the music industry. With their difficult schedules, they never give up. The leader of the girl group Twice, Jihyo, began her training “at the young age of 8 years old and trained for 10 years before she debuted” (sonical.ly, 2023) which demonstrates her perseverance to achieve her dream. 

What are the duties and responsibilities of the profession – what does a typical day’s work involve? 

Even after debuting, idols still have highly structured and demanding days, centered around continuous improvement in their craft and fulfilling a packed schedule of live performance, promotions and media appearances on music shows like M Countdown or Music Bank (popular music tv shows on Mnet and KBS). The days often begin early and can last well into the night. Depending on their schedule, idols might spend time travelling between practice studios, performance venues and even different countries for tours and events. The exact schedule varies greatly on whether an idol is in a ‘comeback period’ (releasing new music), touring, or in a quieter ‘downtime’ training phase. For example, in preparation for their upcoming comeback, girl group Illit is shown to be practicing on treadmills while singing a song on their album ‘bomb’ called ‘jellyous’. This is because they need to be able to sing and dance at the same time on stage, so they’re training to increase their stamina so that they’re able to do so. “’jellyous’ is harder” (Wonhee, 2025), it just goes to show how difficult these dances can be to say that a dance is harder than singing while running on a treadmill. 

It is also just as important for them to maintain a strictly managed public image while engaging in continuous promotional work and fan interaction. As well as concerts, idols have events like fan signing events and fan calls to be able to interact with fans where they must keep up a sort of parasocial relationship to keep the fans 

What are the main financial and legal issues that impact on this profession? 

The main financial and legal issues impacting K-pop idols stem from the industry’s high-risk “trainee debt” system and the use of powerful, restrictive, and sometimes exploitive, long-term contracts. These factors create significant power imbalances often leaving idols with little to no income or legal recourses for years. It’s not uncommon for idols to sue their companies over these issues. Back in 2023, boy groups EXO’s Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin filed a lawsuit against their agency, SM Entertainment, alleging a “lack of payment transparency and onerous contractual demands”, (eaglegazette, 2023) which had the courts ultimately ruling in favour of SM Entertainment on contract validity and fairness. On the other hand, girl group LOONA won their termination lawsuit against Blockberry Creative. While these legal battles were fought for different reasons, it highlights the common issue within the K-pop industry: the contentious nature of long-term exclusive contracts that idols must sign. These arrangements allow agencies to take significant control over their artists professional and personal lives, including everything from “their diets and weight to their earnings and public image” and often impose “strict ‘no dating’ clauses… restricting artists from publically acknowledging their relationships to outrightly forbidding them from any form of intimate relationships” (eaglegazette, 2023). Hence, it’s no surprise that these “agreements” are colloquially referred to as “slave contracts”.  

What would the potential marketing and promotional aspects of this profession look like? 

The marketing and promotions of a K-pop idol are multi-faceted, high intensity operations that encompass digital engagement, traditional media, merchandising and global tours. These strategies are designed to build a powerful branding, foster intense fan loyalty and achieve global reach. Agencies have started to use social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and twitter along with specific platforms like Weverse (a dedicated fan community app) to gain rapid and frequent engagement that maintains high fan interest. A steady stream ofpolished content is also crucial. This includes music videos with high production value, behind-the-scenes footage, reality shows, dance practices and vlogs. These help to build a comprehensive “persona” for the idol and satisfy fan demand for constant interaction.  

When idols release new music, theres a promotional cycle that they typically follow: “teaser rollout, showcase, media appearances and interaction with fans through pop-up stores, then concerts and other events” (The Korea Herald, 2025). Pre-release content has also become from prominent in marketing strategies in more recent years to again maximise global reach. Prior to releases, artists will also do a pre-order to their album with pre-order benefits mostly consisting of photo cards of the idols that wouldn’t be available any other time and sometimes comes with other merch like a keyring for example. 

What are the intellectual and personal challenges presented by the profession and how might these be dealt with? 

Idols face challenges stemming from intense pressure, lack of privacy and industry control. These are generally dealt with through a combiniation of personal resilience, professional support (both internal and external) and, increasingly, industry and fan-driven calls for reform.  

Some intellectual challenges could be: 

• Limited general education: the rigorous training system, which often starts at a young age, requires significant time commitments, causing many idols to abandon or delay general education. 

• Restricted worldview: idols often live sheltered lives in dorms, with daily activities and interactions being heavily manages by their companies. This environment can limit their exposure to diverse perspectives and real-world experiences, possibly stunting their personal and intellectual growth beyond the entertainment bubble. 

• Lack of creative control: many idols little to no say in their music, concepts, or creative direction, hindering the development of their unique artistic voice and critical thinking skills regarding their craft 

Personal challenges could be: 

• Mental health struggles: high expectations, relentless scrutiny and fear of failure contribute to prevalent mental health issues, including anxiety, depression and burnout that is very apparent to some idols. 

• Lack of privacy/stalking: idols endure constant surveillance from both the public and sasaeng (obsessive/stalker) “fans”, with little legal protection for their private lives. This pervasive lack of boundaries leads to significant stress and a feeling of being a “product” rather than a person. 

• Extreme physical demands and beauty standards: idols are pressured to conform to stringent, often unhealthy, beauty standards involving extreme dieting and intense exercise regimens. This can lead to eating disorders and poor physical health. 

What career-progression/development opportunities are available within the profession? 

Idols have several career progression opportunities both during and after their active group careers. These paths often leverage off their existing fame, skills and industry connections. They can expand their roles and showcase individual talents while still part of the group: 

• Creative production: as they gain experience and a fanbase, idols can become more invloved with music production, songwriting and creative direction such as developing album concepts and stage costumes. 

• Solo activities: successful idols often have solo careers as singers or dancers, releasing their own music that may better reflect their personal artistic preferences.  

• Acting: many idols transition into acting in K-dramas or films. 

• Variety shows/hosting: idols with strong personalities may become MCs (hosts) or regular cast members on variety and entertainment shows. 

• Education: some idols pursue higher education, earning university or master’s degrees which can help them in future career changes. 

• Modelling/endorsements: leveraging their visual appeal and fame for modelling contracts and brand endorsement deals. 

• Entrepreneurship/business: idols with enough financial success may invest in real estate or open their own businesses like fashion lines or makeup and skincare brands.  

Bibliography 

El-Basheir, N. (2023). Between Freedom and Fame: K-Pop’s Legal Tightrope. [Online]. The Eagle: Trinity College Law Gazette. Last Updated: 4 December 2023. Available at: https://eaglegazette.wordpress.com/2023/12/04/between-freedom-and-fame-k-pops-legal-tightrope/ [Accessed 4 January 2026]. 

ILLIT. (2025). ‘jellyous’ Live Practice on the Treadmill🏃🏻‍♀️ㅣILLIT (아일릿) [BESIDE-IT]. [Online Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji87V3ipKPg&t=1s [Accessed 3 January 2026] 

Kim, J. (2025). The K-pop promotion playbook: It’s not one-size-fits-all in digital era. [Online]. The Korea Herald. Last Updated: 2 April 2025. Available at: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10456573 [Accessed 4 January 2026]. 

Lee, J. (2023). The Process Of Becoming A K-Pop Idol. [Online]. creatrip. Last Updated: 28 January 2023. Available at: https://creatrip.com/en/blog/11280 [Accessed 3 January 2026]. 

Zhu, J. (2023). The Road to Success: What qualities can we learn from Kpop Idols?. [Online]. Sonical.ly. Last Updated: 28 January 2023. Available at: https://www.sonical.ly/blog-post/the-road-to-success-what-qualities-can-we-learn-from-kpop-idols?c53 [Accessed 3 January 2026].