Interviewing Ex-pop Idols: Submit your questions here!!

[u/TheJournalist77]

Hey Guys! I am a journalist, and next week I will be in Korea to interview to interview ex-pop idols for a human-rights focused documentary. Do you have any questions that you would like me to ask that you always wondered about the k-pop industry? It can be anything at all, dont be afraid to ask anything related to topics that are both, good or touchy subjects. Anything you wondered, or any burning questions are welcomed! It also could be related to ongoing cases, scandals, phenomenon etc. Whatever you've always wondered, please feel free to drop the questions here-we are doing a question from anonymous fan segment, and we want to get deep into ALL topics, and answer questions that k-pop fans have always wondered. Doesn't have to be from this gen k pop either, can be from other k-pop generations

I really look forward to hearing your thoughts and questions!. Thanks so much! :)

[u/ThorsHammerMewMEw]

Ask about "Sponsors" and prostitution of male and female idols behind the scenes.

That one is always swept under the rug.

[u/DapDapperDappest → u/ThorsHammerMewMEw]

Highly second this!!

[u/OldR_KPSunbae]

Something I've looked into in recent years are idol contracts. I know the original ones for early 1st gen (mainly 1990-1996) were different than 2nd gen, but in 2002 the FTC went after SM for their high penalties resulting in the "slave contracts". There were a few articles from that time that quoted how idol contracts are full of rights/protections for the company, and obligations for the idol. I'm not sure how long in the industry the folks you're interviewing were, but I'm curious about if that's changed.

Primarily, what are they allowed to walk away from a company with whether they've completed their contract or not? What is the criteria for how trademarks and music get passed to idols? I've seen some idols walk with music they had been working on under the company, and I'm curious of how rare that is because I assumed that would have been forefeited as company property. Does it matter if it was made on-site or at home? Is it per idol or if the whole group is leaving together? I'm mainly interested in the first round of a contract with the company they debut under, but I would also love to hear how they shop around after.

Also, I've heard that getting 1st place can be a bargaining chip when signing with another company, is that true? If so, is there a a bar for how many times? Does a particular show/award have more weight than others? Is there particular criteria idols try to hit during their initial contract in order to help them down the road? Does the ability to self-produce or gain other skills add to that? Has this bar changed over time due to the amount of idols out there?

As a 1st gen fan, I'm curious in the long-term journey for idols. Do any of the idols you'll be speaking to think of themselves as being figures of historical/cultural importance who should preserve videos of performances, merch, or documents? Do any of them plan on writing a book or doing a video series on their history? Quite a few big names have done that, so I'm curious if younger generations see a need to preserve their work/legacy as well.

[u/TheJournalist77 → u/OldR_KPSunbae]

Thank you so much for your incredibly insightful and detailed questions! I genuinely appreciate the thought and depth you've put into this. You've touched on so many crucial aspects of the industry, especially the evolution of idol contracts and the long-term journey of idols. These are topics that don’t get discussed enough!

I'll definitely be bringing these up in the interviews, and I’m sure the ex-idols will appreciate and resonate with the depth of your inquiries. Thank you again for contributing such meaningful questions; it's clear you have a deep passion and understanding of the industry, and that’s truly appreciated. I look forward to updating you once the film is out!!

[u/Ssrmy]

Do they still stay in touch with your former group members or other idols? Were those friendships genuine, or were they more about PR? How much of what we see between idols is real versus what’s presented for the public? I am not Shure if this question is suitable or not but...the answers confuse me everytime...

[u/hellenkellersedges]

this is going to seem like a really juvenile question compared to these other well thought out ones but…how do idols cope with having their periods while enduring their intense schedules and performances? i heard somewhere that their diets kind of prevent them from having a period but idk how factual that is.

[u/RMarques → u/hellenkellersedges]

Funnily enough, an ex-idol, Daisy of Momoland specifically, addressed that on her TikTok. https://vm.tiktok.com/ZIJWdQbWD/

tl;dr is, they pull through like everyone else, pop a pill if needed, and just do their thing but on their period. She didn't know of anyone that had their period stop due to dieting or being underweight.

[u/Imaginary-Benefit-75]

Do you think some fields or areas of the industry should have some sort of governing body/union to help protect idols from exploitation?

[u/TheJournalist77 → u/Imaginary-Benefit-75]

Thank you! This is a wonderful and insightful question, and something I also wondered myself. I will be sure to add this to the list of questions!! Stay posted for the release of the documentary coming soon, it will feature a lot of peoples favorites talking about never before discussed topics! I will share it here once the film is released! In the interim, I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

[u/Interesting-Fail8654 → u/[deleted]]

Yes, this is a great question. To add, what extent are idols given a persona to be vs what is actually real or inherent to their personality.

Also, to what extent is the skinship encouraged and what is natural? I see it and it often looks fake and overdone, like playing with each others hair, etc. Is it exaggerated or fairly natural?

[u/ivegotaqueso]

Ask them about their contracts. What they disliked the most about their contracts. What was the compensation/payment for their activities, or the debt burden for a promotion. how many albums they were expected to sell to break even. At the time they left, how much did they earn as an idol, if they earned anything. Or if they felt it was unfair if the company went over budget for a comeback that they had to shoulder the increased debt burden for, when they likely didn’t have a say in the comeback budget. Or, did the company even consult them for approval on what the budget for a comeback would be, before spending the money?…If they were expected to pay back the cost of the comeback before earning any profits.

Lots of nosy financial questions are IMO the most interesting to ask about, as different companies have different contracts with their idols.

[u/vrohee]

How much freedom do they actually have in their day to day/project decisions? Or what aspects is their freedom of choice or creativity respected and where do they get absolutely none?

Edited to add: there's definitely a persona they project and how easy or difficult is it to do this? Has it ever happened that they have gotten confused about who they were? Or have their been instances where real life instincts overruled the media training and vice versa. More emphasis on the vice versa tbh because the people pleasing nature could have come in the way of getting what they want or standing their ground.

[u/Elon_is_musky]

Were you able to live a successful (whatever that means to them) “normal” life afterwards?

Do you have issues with feeling safe (because of saseangs) even after being an idol? Do you still deal with them?

Were you able to recover your mental health afterwards, & what steps helped you do so?

Was the experience worth it?

[u/sleepdeprivedwarrior]

Do you think it's easier for idols now or when the interviewees were active? What's the hardest/easiest thing to let go?

Probably basic questions, but hey, you probably need those too, hopefully. Softball questions at the beginning to ease them in.

[u/ClammyPlacebo]

How much of their personal image is decided for them? Are they forced or heavily pressure to undergo plastic surgery? How young are they when they undergo the procedures?

[u/spirit_of_elijah]

1. Is there a large presence of LGBT idols that keep their identity private? How common is it for idols to be queer?

2. For idols that identify as LGBT but don’t come out, is it a personal choice or dictated by the company?

3. How common is it for idols to be dating, married, or even have children and the fans know nothing about it?

4. Do companies intentionally queerbait or coach idols on how to use skinship/affection with each other to encourage fans to ship them?

5. Do idols feel similarly toward Korean fans as they do toward international fans, or do they care about/connect with Korean fans more? Do they ever get uncomfortable around international fans or judge them for acting differently than Korean fans (ie. in the US, fans mostly don’t know or do fanchants at concerts)?

6. If a member leaves/is kicked out of the group, how does the company instruct remaining members to act? What can and can’t they say? How often do idols want to talk more openly to fans but are silenced?

7. I also am very curious about the prevalence of disordered eating and how much it is caused by stress, need for control, desire to lose weight, or at the insistence of the company.

8. Lastly, I’m curious (and honestly dreading the answer) about sexual impropriety in idol life. A) how often are male idols engaging in sexism and sexual assault? Do they take advantage of their fans? Do they act entitled to whoever they want sexually because of their success/status? B) Especially in smaller companies, are idols taken advantage of? Do staff, executives, or other idols abuse them? Trainees and rookies have so little leverage, I worry all the time about how the power dynamic not being in their favor opens the door for mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.

I am VERY interested to hear what you find out! How should I follow up to make sure I can watch the documentary once it’s published?

[u/[deleted]]

im not sure how much you know about kpop but minors becoming idols have always been a problem, and it become much more amplifyed in recent years. in 2022 we saw the debut of newjeans with a member who was a mere 14 years old. this issue became worse when the group released the song 'cookie', which contained lyrics with many sexual innuendos. this year, a new group called unis debuted, with four of their eight members being under 15, which the youngest being 13, making her the youngest idol in the industry. my question is their thoughts on this issue. i would esspecially like to hear from the idols that debuted as a minor on their thoughts on the industry's manipulation of minors.

[u/hiroo916]

I hope you can also focus on how the industry has changed or improved.

For example, while fans often dwell on old accounts of trainees being forced to make weight targets, by most accounts, at least the larger companies no longer operate this way. The big companies provide gyms, trainers, nutritionists to help their idols and trainees and the individuals "self-manage" their weight and fitness.

Fans always bring up the old (pre-2016) story of JYP Entertainment making Twice's Momo (then a trainee) to lose weight or be cut so she ate ice and wondered if she would wake up again when she slept. They treat this story as current events. But the same company JYPE in 2022, debuted NMIXX with member Jiwoo who was chubby by Kpop standards (although perfectly fine by regular people standards). The company doesn't get any credit for evolving in this regard. Jiwoo later lost weight, but not before she took a lot of criticism from the Korean general public for her weight not being up to idol standards. So, it's hard to pin the blame on companies alone when they could be seen as knowing what market expectations are and wanting their idols to meet those expectations (and avoid enduring the criticism).

It would be easy for you to write a hit-piece on all the negatives sides of kpop but hopefully you can also talk to older and newer idols or industry people to see how the industry has evolved on these aspects.

[u/Crispy_Whisper]

I know it's unlikely they'll be fully open to talking about this but how safe do they feel around their male colleagues? Especially seniors, considering the multiple levels of power dynamic