In entertainment companies across South кσяєα, there are always hundreds of trainees nurturing the dream of becoming idols, yet only a handful of them debut officially each year. Even after debuting, the path ahead remains highly uncertain: whether the group will become famous, achieve success, or even how long they will be able to continue working as idols are all open questions.

Despite such an uncertain future, many young people still choose to pursue this path—first because of their pαѕѕion, and then because of the immense allure of the fame, status, and money that the profession can bring once success is achieved. The journey of BTS from an unknown group to one of the world’s biggest K-pop superstars, dominating the entertainment industry for more than a decade, stands as a prime example that inspires many people to dream of and strive to enter this industry.

However, over the years, many stories from former trainees—as well as from BTS themselves—have shown that the glamour au∂ιєnces see is only the tip of the iceberg. The reality of the K-pop industry is far harsher than most people imagine. Recently, the topic has once again sparked discussion after a former idol shared her experience on social media.

Specifically, Hyogyeong, a former member of the group ARIAZ, uploaded a video on her personal YouTube channel titled “I was a K-pop idol for 8 years, and I ended up with DEBT?”. In the video, the singer talked about the stark difference between expectations and reality when entering the idol industry. Many people αѕѕume that debuting as an idol automatically leads to a glamorous career like those of famous groups A or B, but in Hyogyeong’s case, she said she “almost ended up on a blacklist.”

She candidly shared: “The money left in my bank account wasn't zero, it was negetive. After 2.5 years of promoting, I finally got my first earning statement. I was excited, maybe I could finally give my parents some allowance. But it was just debt. ”

What caught the most attention from netizens was Hyogyeong’s mention of BTS: “I heard that even BTS didn't recieve their first settlement until about 3 years after debut. So I told myself, let's just survive 3 years. So when our third year came, instead of a settlement, we got a disbandment notice. BTS became legends, and we became a trivia question.”

Hyogyeong debuted with ARIAZ in 2019 and left the group in 2022. Afterwards, ARIAZ was believed to have disbanded as members gradually announced their departure from the agency.

With this revelation, the former idol also brought attention back to a long-standing reality of the industry: the system known as “trainee debt.” For many years—particularly during the 2010–2017 period—most K-pop companies operated under a system in which trainees and idols were required to repay training costs to the agency after debuting.

During the trainee period, companies typically invest heavily in vocal and dance training, foreign language lessons, image building, dormitory accommodation, and even the costs of producing albums, music videos, and promotional activities once the group debuts. As a result, when a group begins official activities, much of the early revenue is first used to cover these investments before profits are shared with the artists.

This means many idols earn little to no meaningful income during the early years of their careers, especially if their group fails to achieve significant commercial success. In reality, idols are not exactly “forbidden” from receiving pay; rather, there is simply no profit yet to distribute. If a group becomes successful quickly, they may start earning money earlier. Some companies even provide a small allowance or basic salary.

As for BTS not receiving salaries or profit during their first three years, it is relatively understandable. At the time, Big Hit Music was burdened with enormous debt—the aftermath of previous failed projects combined with heavy investment into launching BTS. As late as 2015, while filming the music video for I Need U, the production team reportedly lacked the budget to hire many background actors, forcing the director to appear in the video himself and making use of available locations to minimize costs.

Yet just one year after the breakthrough success of I Need U, Big Hit managed not only to pay off its debts but even had enough money to purchase an old car to burn in the music video for Fire. BTS also received their first earnings in 2016. Ten years later, Big Hit Music now owns a headquarters building as part of the global entertainment empire HYBE, while BTS have become some of the world’s biggest K-pop superstars with personal fortunes worth tens of millions of dollars.

However, that journey took nearly a decade. ARIAZ and Hyogyeong, unfortunately, did not have that much time. Their agency was unable to sustain the group long enough for them to reach their first breakthrough success.

Today, however, the “trainee debt” system has changed significantly over time. The кσяєα Fair Trade Commission has introduced new regulations aimed at protecting artists, including limits on contract lengths and greater transparency in profit distribution. Many companies now adopt more flexible models, in which idols may receive a basic salary or begin sharing revenue earlier—especially if their groups achieve rapid success.

Nevertheless, Hyogyeong’s revelation exposes a harsh reality: the journey to becoming a K-pop idol can sometimes be a major gamble—one in which only a small number of people reach the top, while many others fail, sometimes in devastating ways.

Some notable comments from netizens include: "The industry sells the dream but hides the math", "BTS became legends for a reason.Not everyone can be legend yet if they work with pure talent and if the things like proper management,company protection,surrounded by good people and production team can make any artist successful on their own way", "Hyogyeong’s story is a нєαятвяєαкιиg reminder that the "BTS model" of survival is a survivorship bias. For every group that strikes gold after three years of debt, a hundred others receive a disbandment notice instead of a paycheck. K-pop’s glitter covers a mountain of unpayable trainee debt that turns dreams into financial nightmares", "In conclusion BTS are legends who didn't receive anything on a silver platter, and the reality of K-pop is an exploitative industry that should be stopped romanticized. Thank God, BTS is a private company and can choose and manage their own money and businesses",...