“I Could Have Died” — Trainee’s Traumatic Experiences Still Affect Her Years Later
While Western media often one-sidedly paints the journey to becoming an idol as something out of a horror story, there is no denying a dark side to K-Pop. Idols who have left the industry have opened up about this, shocking fans with the information they share.
Former Teen Top Member C.A.P Exposes “The Dark Side” Of K-Pop
Recently, a former trainee shared why she left the industry, shocking with all that she endured
In 2021, the survival series My Teenage Girl aired, seeking to form a seven-membered group.
The competition winners went on to debut as CLASS:y, and trainee Judy Kim (also known as Dasom Kim) was not among the final group.
After the competition, Judy moved to another company before leaving the industry.
On June 7, the former trainee shared videos explaining why she left K-Pop, mentioning that she was tired of promises of a debut. She also said that it took a toll on her mental health, saying she suffered anxiety and depression throughout her two years training.
The stress that you go through is insanely different than anything I’ve ever experienced. Like, the amount of anxiety, depression, like solitude that I had to go through at that time was horrible.
— Judy Kim
She also revealed that she was sick most of her time in Korea due to the extreme diets she did, likely to reach the impossible standards set by companies. Her ailments included a throat tumor, “cracking” her head open, and tearing six ligaments in her legs, the last being what finalized her decision to leave.
I was extremely sick through out my entirety in Korea because I was putting myself through extreme diets that no one should ever go through. I had a like a tumor in the back of my throat, I cracked my head open. I think the injury that made me quit this industry all together was I tore six different ligaments, which caused me to not be able to walk properly without a limp for almost six months.
— Judy Kim
In the text portion of her video, Judy mentions that she is “still sick to this day” as a result of not having the time or diet to fully heal. Hopefully, Judy’s health will only improve from here as she is able to live her life the way she wants!
You can watch her video below.
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