Have you heard of NewJeans? If you have, you may have also heard of the controversy surrounding the members’ ages. NewJeans, a rookie group from HYBE, consists of members aged 14-18. Their agency drew backlash for allowing such minors to release a provocative song, “Cookie”, which included phrases such as “Keep looking at my cookie” and “Looking at my cookie, do you ever smell it different (taste it)”. However, the phenomenon of minors debuting isn’t new - In fact, it has been common throughout the generations of K-pop. BoA, dubbed the Queen of K-pop, released her first song at the young age of 13 in 2000. From the hit group “Wonder Girls”, Sohee debuted in 2007 when she was only 14. This begs the question: Should minors be allowed in K-pop? Or is that only part of a bigger problem?
In order to determine where the problems lie, let’s analyse K-pop as a whole. K-pop is known for its intense diet culture, which is extremely unhealthy. Momo from Twice survived on a cube of ice in order to lose 7kg in a week. Idols who are already in great shape are constantly encouraged to become skinnier. Plastic surgery is also rampant in the industry. Furthermore, most idols perform wearing tight or revealing outfits. Not to mention the fact that it is not uncommon for idols to have “sasaengs”, an obsessive fan who stalks or invades the privacy of idols. Unfortunately, these problems are also applicable to idols of all ages. Other than minors, most groups in the “4th generation” are still relatively young, aged 18-21. It is true that it is much more dangerous for younger idols who might be less equipped to deal with such challenges, but the culture as a whole is, in a sense, toxic. Hence, minors in K-pop are not the problem, but the larger issue of K-pop is.
However, it’s hard to picture K-pop without its “toxic” behaviours as they are also what brings K-pop its distinct individuality. K-pop idols are often known for their charming visuals and attractive figures, which can be partially attributed to diet culture. The creative stage outfits enhance the performance and distinguishes it from any other. And K-pop wouldn’t be what it is today without its loyal fandoms. As group after group manage to succeed using that formula, it is logical for K-pop agencies to maintain the status quo and not go against the grain. Why fix something that’s not broken, right? It will be hard to see the change in K-pop that is needed, but it is possible, and is entirely up to the community to realise its wrongs.
Moving on from the entirety of K-pop, I will now zoom into the issue of minors. Is it truly as big of an issue as it seems? MBC’s survival show, My Teenage Girl, aimed to form a girl group with potential members as young as 11. NewJeans, with members aged 14-18, garnered 10 million monthly listeners with their debut album alone. Despite the backlash on having minors debut, people still support and listen to their content. As companies, they would definitely use sales and numbers as a metric of success rather than consumers’ “complaints”. Companies will give the people what they want in order to profit as much as possible, and debuting minors is no different. The reason why the debut age seems to be decreasing is because we are the ones enabling it.
Let’s say that minors are forbidden from being debuted. Does it really solve the problem? Not really This is because before debut, all idols go through a training period, which often begins from a young age. That’s right: Even if idols are not debuted as minors, they almost definitely start their K-pop journey as one. If you are unfamiliar with the trainee experience, let me paint a picture for you. After going through a tiring day of school, you are whisked into mandatory vocal, dance and language classes till 10pm. In this cutthroat industry, all of your friends are also your rivals, and in order to make the cut, you practise for hours past 10pm. Is being a K-pop idol truly so much worse than being a trainee? By pushing back their debut, minors will only suffer through a longer training period. Starting training at an older age is also unrealistic as years of practice are needed in order to cultivate the necessary skills. In order not to fall behind, it is impossible that trainees will join when they are older. As the industry as a whole is overly harsh, preventing minors from debuting is an insufficient measure to protect them.
So what’s the best way forward? Personally, I think that minors should still be allowed in K-pop. As I argued above, preventing it does not solve the bigger issue. However, a shift in outlook and perception of all K-pop idols is necessary. They should be treated with more respect and graciousness (e.g. dating scandals/“weight” issues), in order to make the K-pop industry a more enjoyable one for all, including minors. Additionally, K-pop agencies should treat their employees humanely and adopt ethical business practices. All in all, I hope that the minors debuting or training are doing what they love and are willingly pursuing their dreams. Being a K-pop idol is unimaginably tough and it is hard to fathom kids younger than myself already becoming one. As supporters, let us be mindful that K-pop idols are human too, and not send hate their way!
Written by: Chiang Xin Ni Nicole (22S73)
Edited by: Charmaine Lee (22S77), Lee Ren Kai Artemus (22A15)
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