This story comprises references to suicide.
Watch The Ok-Pop Dream Manufacturing unit on Tuesday 27 August at 9.30pm on SBS or
Heesoo Chung has her eyes set on an unlikely objective: changing into a Ok-pop star.
“My dream is to be an idol star … that’s my solely dream,” the 16-year-old stated.
The South Korean teenager is one in all hundreds dedicating their lives to the hope of being idolised by thousands and thousands.
“I’m going to an academy daily after I end faculty and I apply there from 6pm till 10pm. However I feel I have to work more durable,” she stated.
Ok-pop wannabes undertake intensive coaching classes and discover their lives will be restricted to satisfy the calls for of the business.
“I have to work more durable and take much more classes.”
Chung attends the Hanlim College of Arts in Seoul the place college students be taught 14 completely different dance genres and take singing lessons.
Regardless of her dedication, she is aware of making it as a Ok-pop star will probably be extraordinarily powerful, with lower than 1 per cent of Ok-pop wannabes happening to take pleasure in business stardom.
She additionally is aware of she’ll have to surrender many issues — together with her freedom — alongside the best way.
The Ok-pop machine
Since rising within the Nineteen Nineties, Korean pop music, or Ok-pop, has grown into a worldwide phenomenon value an estimated US$8 billion ($11.8 billion) that pulls lots of of thousands and thousands of followers worldwide.
It is a extremely choreographed style that pulls from international music types corresponding to pop, hip-hop, R&B and digital dance in addition to its conventional Korean roots.
Particular person teams are recognized for his or her distinctive aesthetics and types, with the preferred singers known as idols.
Hundreds of youngsters audition each week within the hope of sparking the eye of expertise scouts and music labels. And annually, the business launches lots of of latest idols.
Sarah Keith, senior lecturer in Music and Media at Macquarie College, stated the speed of latest artists debuting is getting quicker and quicker.
“Which means businesses and artists have to make extra of an effort to face out and excel in what’s a really crowded market. The tempo and depth of Ok-pop would not seem like it is slowing down any time quickly,” she stated.
‘I needed to act like a doll’
Ok-pop stars are beholden to music labels and managers, shedding their private freedoms within the course of.
Designed to embody perfectionism, they are not permitted to smoke, drink and even have relationships — to allow them to seem to followers as romantically out there.
Earlier this yr, Ok-pop idol Karina from fashionable woman group aespa was compelled to apologise to followers following revelations she was conducting a relationship in secret, which prompted fury amongst followers and threats to boycott the group’s music.
“Music globally, is a spot the place exploitation occurs, the place younger artistic staff are susceptible. We have seen a number of exploitation, sexual harassment and abuse accusations come out of the US as effectively,” Keith stated.
“The Korean authorities is interested by stopping exploitation, however this doesn’t imply it needs to cease folks coaching very, very intensively. So there’s a complete lot of very, very laborious work that may occur even inside a authorized context.
“As observers from Australia it may be very confronting to us, seeing how a lot work goes into being a Ok-pop idol. “
Min Su believes the Ok-pop fan base creates a robust tradition of not possible expectations.
For Bang Min Su, previously from Ok-pop band Teen High, the scene bought an excessive amount of.
He has now give up the business, lives above his mom’s cafe and is pursuing a brand new profession in artwork.
“I assumed I’d get to do cool issues on stage however in actuality … I simply needed to act like a doll,” he stated.
“‘Do that, do this’. The whole lot was managed,” he stated.
Min Su believes the fanbase is highly effective and creates a tradition of not possible expectations.
“The followers are those liable for this tradition nevertheless it’s additionally the report label’s fault for not stopping it and the artists for not being trustworthy concerning the influence it has on them,” he stated.
“All this contributes to the rotten tradition. I feel it is protected to say that most individuals really feel this manner.
“No one likes having their life managed.”
Life after Ok-pop can be a troublesome transition when many stars have devoted their complete life to being an idol.
Min Su stated he turned an alcoholic, whereas a few of his associates paid a good heavier worth.
“Two of my associates took their very own lives,” he stated.
“They each known as me the day earlier than, however I will need to have been asleep as a result of I didn’t decide up the cellphone. And I can’t cease pondering that perhaps issues would have turned out in a different way if I’d simply picked up the cellphone.
“That is the darkish facet of the business.”
South Korea has the best suicide charge among the many rich 38-member Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Growth (OECD) nations, with 25.2 deaths per 100,000 folks in 2022 . There’s an unusually excessive variety of deaths amongst Ok-pop idols.
Pushing on regardless of the dangers
Cho Su and Choi Sarang have lately been launched as Ok-pop stars as a part of new ladies’ group Sweet Store.
The calls for on them do not appear to have dampened their ambition.
Ok-pop stars Cho Su and Choi Sarang are a part of a brand new woman group known as Sweet Store.
Su has dreamt of being a Ok-pop idol since she was 15.
“I wish to stand on stage and make folks completely satisfied,” she stated.
Her bandmate Sarang isn’t apprehensive concerning the restrictions on her freedom.
“This job isn’t compelled. That is what we wish … so we’ve to do it, I feel, so it’s okay.”
Chung additionally stays centered on her dream, regardless of going through numerous audition rejections and being instructed by her academics to give attention to her weight loss plan so she will be able to lose 5 kilos.
“I all the time fail auditions a lot, in order that’s making me nervous,” she stated.
Hanlim’s PR director Jinny Kim stated the college is supplied to offer psychological well being help to college students.
“If the kids have any private issues once they be part of a report label or if the kids have psychological well being difficulties, then all of the academics at our faculty can present them with counselling as a result of all of them have that coaching.”
However Chung stated whereas her arts academy ready her for the demanding course of, it lacks psychological well being help.
“[It’s] probably not [talked about]. So I feel I’m studying in myself.”
Readers looking for disaster help can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Name Again Service on 1300 659 467 and Youngsters Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for younger folks aged as much as 25). Extra data and help with psychological well being is obtainable at and on 1300 22 4636.
helps folks from culturally and linguistically various backgrounds.
