A new law has been enacted to safeguard young individuals’ training to become idols, as well as those who choose to end their training.
On January 11, Counselor Kim Gyu Nam of the Seoul Metropolitan Council proposed the ‘Ordinance on the Protection and Support of the Rights of Youth Cultural and Artistic Persons in Seoul.’ This proposal was approved during the 321st regular session in December 2023.
As of September 2023, the city council reported that 82.3% (3,930 out of 4,774) of Korea’s entertainment agencies are based in Seoul. This establishes Seoul as the major hub for discovering, training, and managing idols. However, there is insufficient legal support to protect the rights of idol trainees.
The goal of this new law is to prevent mental and physical health issues among young trainees, such as being forced to lose weight and undergo cosmetic enhancements. It also includes measures, such as psychological evaluations and counseling, to help manage the intense pressures of the industry.
Furthermore, the law also offers career counseling to help trainees who did not debut or those who ended their contract find new career paths.
In the past, there have been cases where management companies and other key players have spearheaded efforts related to weight control for trainees and newly debuted idol groups.
In 2015, AOA member Seolhyun discussed the pressures of the entertainment industry, including maintaining a weight of 48kg despite her height of 167cm. She considered quitting due to the challenges of adhering to a strict diet.
Numerous young idols have publicly shared their battles with depression, often triggered by rigorous dieting regimes, including severe measures like water deprivation for weight control. An industry insider highlighted that in idol groups, physical attractiveness is as crucial as vocal ability, leading to widespread weight management practices across the industry, irrespective of gender or agency. Certain agencies even establish specific weight goals for their idols’ debut.
The insider recognized the multifaceted nature of these problems when viewed from the agencies’ standpoint. They noted that some agencies, driven by a profound commitment to their idols’ prosperity, put these control measures in place with the utmost good faith.
Netizens reacted to the said ordinance. “Why is it so damn hard for Koreaboo to give correct titles? (Rhetorical question, I know, it’s Koreaboo.) “South Korea didn’t pass anything here, Seoul city government did.”
“Everyone knows about the companies putting idols on diets, but the forced plastic surgery topic seems to be something more taboo to talk about, or people pretend it doesn’t happen. I feel like this asserts it happens a lot, enough they tried to make a law (even if the law won’t really have much effect). No idea if it will actually change much in practice, but I guess it’s a step in the right direction that they’re even acknowledging the issue exists.”
“A step in the right direction, if nothing else.”
In response to this ordinance, Councilor Kim Gyu-nam emphasized, “While Korean cultural content gains global recognition through the K-pop phenomenon, the challenges and uncertainties faced by young trainees until they become prominent figures in the idol industry are fundamentally the responsibility of the individual trainees.”
He further stated, “To ensure the protection of the rights of teenage idol trainees, the city of Seoul will continue various support projects at the municipal level, facilitating a stable growth period for these trainees.”
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