Do Agencies Really Care About the Health of K-Pop Idols? Industry insiders comment on kpop news
The K-pop industry has always been the target of accusations about companies’ concern for the well-being of their artists. With extremely busy schedules and the stress of constantly being in the public eye, many idols often share their physical and mental health issues when courting. It is therefore understandable that fans are repeatedly demanding that their labels take a more careful approach to the health of the artists.
In recent years, fans have been trending on social media with hashtags wishing injured idols a speedy recovery or, often, calling for better treatment for their favorite artists. Because of the attention paid to this topic, K-pop companies have started making better efforts to not only ensure the physical safety of their idols, but also to educate them and help them take care of their mental health .
king of @IVE_twt is on a temporary hiatus from all activities due to issues related to his health symptoms. Accordingly @STARSHIPent, Rei needs proper medication and rest until further notice. Hope you feel better soon Rei! 🙏 #I HAVE #REI pic.twitter.com/CY0TFmWjiu
— KpopHerald (@Kpop_Herald) April 11, 2023
After the disturbing news from I HAVEIt is Rei temporarily withdraw from group activities due to health reasons, industry insiders said Ilgan sports what companies are doing to avoid these problems. Discussing appointments with your artists, for example, is mentioned as one of the newly implemented measures.
Nowadays, management agencies care about the health of artists and listen to their opinion. The schedules are coordinated with the artist and are in no way imposed.
– Industry Insider
Health checks were also performed as a preventative measure to prevent health problems from creeping up on idols or being left unattended. Educating the idols themselves about the importance of stable mental health is another aspect the labels are focusing on. A source shared that labels are now doing their best to “comfort” their artists.
Recently, there has been an increase in management agencies that require artists to conduct health checks once a year and also provide training for their artists to take care of their mental health. Agencies do their best to offer comfort to their artists.
– Industry Insider
Kep1er Kim Chaehyun is missing some dates due to health reasons
She is currently being treated in the hospital and is doing her best to recover as she is still determined to take part in the final stages of Queendom 2.
Source: https://t.co/9xOKDBU1QG pic.twitter.com/RAVI5rNubf
— The Seoul Story (@theseoulstory) June 2, 2022
However, Ilgan sports also points out that it’s hard to break an idol’s will to get closer to perfection. Fans have consistently heard stories of idols skipping meals, sleeping, or taking breaks to practice and perfect their dancing and singing. Although labels do their best to give enough time to rest, idols often lack the sleep to perfect their performance.
Every artist tries their best to do more and that’s why I believe that (artists) have less time (to sleep). Agencies do their best to give artists enough time to rest.
– Industry Insider
Ultimately, the need for idols to be so perfect that they are willing to put their physical and mental health on the line comes from being part of an industry that expects nothing less of you. And while these are all positive steps in the right direction, labels still need to take steps to minimize health issues that could disrupt an idol’s career.
