As agencies thrive on global tours and top sales, artists face mounting mental and physical strain.
SEOUL – With the number of K-pop concerts and music awards growing both at home and abroad, agencies are reporting record sales, yet more idols are stepping back due to mental and physical health concerns. Many work relentlessly until a serious injury forces them to stop.
Yoon Ji-yoon of girl group Izna, managed by CJ ENM subsidiary WakeOne, recently left the group citing health issues, just six months after halting activities in February.
Monsta X’s I.M also took a three-week break starting in late July, later resuming group activities on Friday. Starship Entertainment said he had been receiving treatment for back pain and required rest to ensure a stable recovery.
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Earlier this month, Park Bom paused her activities with legendary girl group 2NE1 after doctors advised her to take a break. Having resumed full-group promotions last year for the band’s 15th anniversary, she had been active on multiple stages. D Nation Entertainment announced on Aug 6 that she would not participate in upcoming group engagements, following medical advice to prioritize rest.
Exhaustion-related leaves of absence are not new to K-pop. However, with social media amplifying the workload and global popularity requiring extensive overseas engagements, idols find themselves increasingly strained.
Meanwhile, concert and event revenues are driving record earnings for agencies.
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Leading K-pop company Hybe reported a historic second-quarter revenue of 705.6 billion won ($520 million), up 10.2 percent year-on-year from 640.5 billion won. Revenue directly tied to artist activities reached 447.9 billion won, with concert revenue surging 31 percent to 188.7 billion won. JYP Entertainment posted the largest growth, with second-quarter revenue of 215.8 billion won, up 125.5 percent from the previous year, marking the steepest rise among the top four agencies. SM Entertainment achieved a record quarterly revenue of 302.9 billion won, up 19.3 percent year-on-year, while YG Entertainment saw an 11.6 percent year-on-year increase to 100.4 billion won.
Financial results contrast sharply with the worsening working conditions and health issues that K-pop artists face.
An executive at a midsized agency acknowledged that idols have little downtime outside album production, but said most prefer busy schedules and cannot be persuaded otherwise.
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“Artists don’t always work because they want to, nor can they rest when they want. Once a song becomes a hit, there’s no break. I’ve never met an idol who wanted fewer activities — most achieve their goals by staying busy,” an industry executive said Tuesday. He added that agencies provide regular medical checkups and medical support for artists.
However, Lee Jong-im, adjunct professor at Kyung Hee University’s Graduate School of Media and Communication, said Korean idols rarely challenge poor working conditions.
“Korean members, having trained since childhood, are accustomed to long hours and do not raise concerns. Foreign members struggle more,” she said. “Major agencies like Hybe, JYP and SM operate in-house counseling centers, but smaller firms often lack such systems. Idols rarely have the time to seek outside mental health support.”
Lee added that while psychiatric counseling is available through the Korea Creative Content Agency, busy schedules make it difficult for idols to access these services on their own.
