How do you feel about 13-15 year old kids debuting in idol groups?

[Hyooga]

Despite being in K-Pop since 2003, one of the main things that still bothers me are severely young idols. It's one thing to be a young celebrity, and another thing to be a young K-Pop idol. The whole K-Pop system is just too hectic, toxic and your image is heavily dictated - it makes me wonder how these young ones who are below 15 years old even able to handle it during a time of their life when they're supposed to figure out their own identities? They're thrown in this arena wherein anyone and everyone has an opinion of what they do, how they look like, and they're thrown into a schedule of living in vans and planes, rehearsing choreography all night, filming long hours for variety shows. 

 

They also get a lot of love - which is while it's good, I can imagine it could be something too overwhelming for young people to handle. I don't think human beings are programmed to handle an irrational amount of love and hate, particularly from strangers. Getting this kind of overwhelming reception in your early teens can easily distort your connection with reality and things that truly mattter.

 

I think K-Pop idols in general just have a different lifestyle and schedule than your regular Hollywood celeb. The diets, the endless rehearsals, racing from schedule to schedule...I can't imagine being 14-15 and going through all of that.

[StepOnMeJas]

Congrats to them for debuting

[Belkiss]

Blame their parents

[RiriWilliams]

15 years old aren't kids.

[Gilean]

15 years old aren't kids.

LOL, yes they are. You will see that when you grow up.

[Non.]

Blame their parents

[Soilei]

well i don't really like it but who am i to judge. its up to their parents 

[shashashatan]

sugar-coated child labor. that's sad

[Forever]

i think it's amazing that they are able to debut..I somehow envy that they are starting their careers at such a young age

[ideonsshi]

Jungkook debuted when he was 14 tho-

 

For me it depends on public acceptance. If this kid is loved by public, it's okay. If he/she isn't, tho, that is a bad sign.

[denizen mars]

what's worse is when you consider that when they debut at 13, that means they might have auditioned before they even hit puberty...

but honestly, there are children in entertainment everywhere, it's just worse in k-ent because schedules are way more grueling and thankless

[Hyooga]

Jungkook debuted when he was 14 tho-

 

 

I actually feel he debuted too young :/

what's worse is when you consider that when they debut at 13, that means they might have auditioned before they even hit puberty...

but honestly, there are children in entertainment everywhere, it's just worse in k-ent because schedules are way more grueling and thankless

 

 

Like i mentioned, being a K-Pop idol is a whole category on its own different from your normal kid singer or child actor

[B612]

idk 

 

I think it's the same issue with child actors, they basically spend their childhood and adolescence working 

 

but if it's their dream, then idc 

 

​I think it's better if the parents support than having to deal with frustrated adults 

 

you gain a lot but you lose a lot 

[Hyooga]

I think it's the same issue with child actors, they basically spend their childhood and adolescence working 

 

 

child actors don't need to rehearse all night and learn 545869458 new choreography, also scenes involving child actors can be scheduled to be filmed during normal working hours

 

kpop idols = living in a dorm together, traveling everywhere to perform, rehearsing all night, diets 

 

it's a whole different animal tbh

[Belkiss]

I actually feel he debuted too young :/

He can be considered an exception

Kookie debuted in safe hands with members that are like his family. It was difficult for him but he found the support. He confessed that

But many others join companies that, as we know, are shitty

[Ceyla]

It's sad tbh. 

[shocking blue]

If they want to do it and their company does not exploit them then good for them. If it gets too much they can always quit although it is a risk because they wouldn't be getting the same education as others their age, and that's something you can never get back. Unfortunately idols, girls in particular, seem to have an expiry date so to start young is actually a good idea in a way.

[co-ups]

it says so much of the industry, kids has been training since 10 or before from years and years (years ago sungmin and hyewon were the youngest idols in co-ed school, then you have zelo training since like 7? and nu'est who debuted with an average age of 17.2), the problem is idols are requested to lost their childhood to have a chance.

[Hyooga]

 Kookie debuted in safe hands with members that are like his family. It was difficult for him but he found the support. He confessed that

But many others join companies that, as we know, are shitty

 

 

yeah, I've always felt he debuted too young (same with other idols like BoA, Taemin, Somi) but I feel even Jungkook seems to be aware as he even implies that he entered the industry at a really young age in the recent variety show he guested in. He's lucky he had the support system, but you could tell that it was still difficult for him regardless (example, he worries if he acts fake or not because he really desires to be liked - one could assume this stems from the fact that his actual profession calls for him to be a stan attractor and this is pretty much what he does in his daily life since he was 15)

[chanyeolears]

13 is too young i guess

[Soilei]

it says so much of the industry, kids has been training since 10 or before from years and years (years ago sungmin and hyewon were the youngest idols in co-ed school, then you have zelo training since like 7? and nu'est who debuted with an average age of 17.2), the problem is idols are requested to lost their childhood to have a chance.

 

the industry is forcing them to debut young because of army. they want to milk the groups as much as they can while they're trendy and young, .. eventho' i don't understand the tranings since young age. (zelo for example)

as for girl groups. well we all know that Suzy that is like born in 1994. was called that "you can see that she has aged" ...

[llamaswag]

Both Krystal and Sulli debut when they were 15, I never thought they were kids.

And f(x) wasn't really busy or traveling abroad for schedule.

It seems not bad, and they going often to school.

 

Before groups rarely traveling during their first 2 yrs to focus in Korea (only popular groups get a chance to travel overseas often, mostly big companies) and by the time that they ready to promote more overseas they already surpassed the age that u required.

Groups tended to cb around 2-3 and learning around 2choreo for each cb stage (for most unpopular rookie, only 1 stage). With their training experience, it easy for them to pick up choreo too.

 

For the present, there is some guideline for working hrs of idol under 16, so most companies prefer to debut 16+ now.

[Ulmicola]

15 is not that bad - plenty of actors debut around that age, and there have been singers, even in the West, that did so as well - but the way the K-Pop industry works, well... it resembles a pimped out version of military life much more than anything else. Sure, South Korean kids are raised since birth in a society that expects near absolute obedience out of them, but there's a difference between having a strict family and school life and being a puppet in the hands of people who might turn out to be incredibly creepy.

 

Mark my words, sooner or later there will be a huge sex scandal involving a young idol from one of the big three companies. Except the young idol will be blacklisted from and shamed out of the industry, and the aforementioned South Korean Bill Cosby will only get a slap on the wrist.

[geez]

I wouldn't let my kid debut before 15, but if their parents don't care about their minds...

[Honeystan]

Both Krystal and Sulli debut when they were 15, I never thought they were kids.

And f(x) wasn't really busy or traveling abroad for schedule.

It seems not bad.

Before groups rarely traveling during their first 2 yrs to promote in Korea (only popular groups get a chance to travel overseas often, mostly big companies) and by the time that they ready to promote more overseas they already surpassed the age that u required.

Groups tended to cb around 2x or 3 and learning around 2choreo for each cb stage.

f(x) traveled abroad for a lot of schedules when they first debuted, as well as around Korea. Literally some of their first performances were in France and stuff. They went to Thailand and Africa and all sorts of places all in the first two years. They filmed and performed Lollipop in various places in China, Amber's video with Desang Tang (or however you spell his name) certainly wasn't in Korea. WYD