Normalizing Abuse? VCHA KG’s Lawsuit Against JYP Entertainment Sparks Heavy Debate Amongst Koreans About K-Pop’s System
VCHA‘s KG recently announced the termination of her contract with JYP Entertainment, in addition to a lawsuit for abuse.
According to various legal documents, KG claimed to have faced abuse such as harsh trainers, diet restrictions, and surveillance.
She expressed how miserable she was to her friends through online chats.
The girls’ diets were severely restricted even as they faced harsh training.
KG also claimed that she was given a debt that she had to repay.
KG’s lawsuit triggered a heavy debate amongst netizens, both international and Korean. While many international fans were in support of KG, international fans who have been a fan of K-Pop for a long time, as well as Korean netizens, while they were sorry for KG’s plight, pointed out that this is all part of the typical K-Pop training system.
Although things have gotten better in recent years, this was not news to many. Many companies assign trainee debt to their trainees, which gets paid off through their work after debut. Before breaking even, many do not get paid, or live off allowance. KG’s pay of $500 a week despite their lack of activity was reasonable to many.
The relentless schedule of training until midnight after school ended was also something that many trainees in South Korea have to endure to achieve their dreams. STAYC‘s non-schooling members endured a schedule from 10am to 12 midnight when they were trainees.
Diets are also considered the norm.
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Koreans pointed out that while from a Western point-of-view, the harsh conditions could be considered outrageous, it has long since become the norm for Korean trainees.
- Oh, so JYP has an American group too? Are they active now? This is indeed pretty outrageous from a Western POV.
- Gasp.
- In any industry, there’s no one who hits the top without such efforts.
- It is true that the trainee-fan culture in the idol industry is pretty much deformed.
- K-Pop fans were already saying that Western kids won’t be able to withstand the K-Pop training system in the first place, but companies just didn’t listen LOL.
- Honestly, the K-Pop system in itself is a whole thing, and it is only possible because the people in it were Koreans.
- It’s a total comedy how they even thought this would fly over there.
- Doesn’t JYP only treat female idols like that? TWICE’s Momo was also told to lose 7kg in 1 week, and she only ate ice that week. It is truly uncanny.
You can read more about KG’s case below.
