The Korea Times
Becoming a K-pop idol can cost families up to 5 million won (about $3,700) a month — a price many parents say is both a sacrifice and a gamble, as competition intensifies in Korea’s highly structured trainee system. Comedian Park Se-mi recently explored the reality behind idol training in a YouTube video released April 14 on the channel "Rollingthunder_2025," where she visited a dance academy and met students preparing for auditions at major entertainment agencies. In the video, Park experienced vocal and dance lessons and observed a mock audition, but it was her conversations with parents that drew the most attention. “When my child first said they wanted to become an idol, I thought it was admirable to have a dream,” one mother said. “It’s not easy to find something you truly want to do. If they have that, they should at least try so they won’t regret it later.” But the financial burden quickly becomes significant. A parent of three children — two of whom are pursuing performing arts — said, “With dance academies, vocal lessons and even regular subjects like Englis
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