Pursuing the K-Pop Dream? (Part 1)

H.O.T, g.o.d, EXO, 2NE1, T-ara, KARA – while these names may absolutely make no sense to you at all, they might well mean the world to your pre-teen or teen because these are some of the hottest K-Pop acts in South Korea at the moment.

Hallyu hits Singapore

There is no denying that Hallyu (Korean wave) has taken over the world by storm and the culture of Korean peninsula (well, the southern part of the peninsula to be more exact) has captured our hearts.

Korean restaurants, each boasting of featuring the most authentic Korean delights are popping up everywhere. There is always a Korean drama featured on Channel 8 or Channel U and even then many Singaporeans catch Korean variety shows on the Internet. Existing Korean language schools in Singapore are doing well and more are opening to cater to rising needs. University students are also going to South Korea for exchange programmes and Korean language programmes for a semester or two at some of Seoul’s most popular universities. And of course, there are some who are adamant that they would pursue the K-Pop dream and be the next big thing in the Korean entertainment industry and go on to launch stellar global careers.

Growing number of aspiring K-Pop artistes – from Singapore?

In October, The New Paper (TNP) publish an article about a mother spending $5000 to send her daughter to Seoul for a shot at K-Pop stardom. According to the article, the mother was forking out two months of her income to send her 15-year-old to a K-pop boot camp. At the end of the boot camp, her daughter, Xiaoyue will attend an audition held by some of the most illustrious entertainment companies in Seoul and will hopefully be signed by them and realise her dream of being a K-Pop singer.

While it is commendable that a 15-year-old has her mind focused on a goal and seems determined to succeed, navigating the entertainment industry in a country with a different language, culture, set of practices and perceptions can be extremely daunting.

If your pre-teen or teen is harbouring the dreams of going to Seoul to become the next big thing in K-Pop, there is a need to explain to your teen that making that happen will take a lot more than an initial outlay of a few thousand dollars, hard work and determination.
In the next part of this 3-part article series, we look at the volatility of the K-Pop industry and some of the harsh realities of the industry that might provide another perspective or an additional point of reference, such as the often reports of how K-Pop artistes are constantly under the pressure to go under the knife.