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| K-pop girl group April / Courtesy of DSP Media |
By Dong Sun-hwa
Maintaining a "safe distance" is often believed to be key to building healthy relationships. But what if you have to stay with your coworkers day and night, eating and sleeping in the same space? For members of most K-pop groups, this is one of the toughest things to endure during the first few years of their careers.
For K-pop management companies, this "dormitory culture" has some merits ― it makes it easier for them to look after all members and promote teamwork. If things work out smoothly, the members can develop a family-like bond, creating a close-knit chemistry that fans love to see. On this account, members of the majority of K-pop groups ― irrespective of their age ― reside in the same place in the early days of their careers until they are allowed to live separately.
But this practice of living together is fueling worries among many, who believe it creates an environment where certain members can bully others. Critics point out that this system ― which does not give enough private space to the members ― could affect their stress levels and cause conflicts.
In February, members of K-pop girl group April were accused of ostracizing their former bandmate Lee Hyun-joo, when she was part of the team several years ago. Last July, Kwon Mina, an ex-member of AOA, alleged that the band's then-leader Shin Ji-min bullied her for years while she was in AOA.
Lee Jong-im, a visiting professor at the graduate school of journalism and communication at Kyung Hee University, believes entertainment companies should overhaul the current system to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Lee is the author of "Idol Trainees' Sweat and Tears" (2018), a book that delves into the dark side of the K-pop training system.
"I do not agree that the dormitory system is essential for K-pop stars, but if they still have to live together, they need a place where their privacy can be properly protected. Company officials should not put the singers under around-the-clock surveillance … I believe they should also be given sufficient time and space to go to school and build rapport with people other than their bandmates," she said.
"Once aspiring singers become trainees, they have to suppress themselves to a great extent only to survive cutthroat competition and debut as singers. They cannot interact with their friends or family often. In most cases, even after their debut, they are asked to solve their personal problems on their own (without seeking help) or just tolerate difficult times."
Music critic Jung Min-jae, who writes for IZM magazine, echoes such views. Citing the case of One Direction (1D), one of the most successful boy bands in history that debuted in 2010, Jung explained why the dormitory system is not the only way.
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| Fin.K.L, a popular K-pop girl group in the late 1990s and 2000s / Capture from member Sung Yu-ri's Instagram |
"One Direction members were not asked to live together in one place, but they did not have any major problems in their teamwork," he said. "When it comes to K-pop, the dormitory culture contributed to the success of certain groups, but it also strained the relationships of some members, as seen in the case of Fin.K.L, one of the most popular girl groups in the late 1990s and 2000s. Its members confessed on several TV shows that they went through tough times while living together."
That point brings up another question: why is teamwork so vital for the K-pop groups? Korean society's emphasis on collectivism is one of the rationales, according to Lee.
"Korean society tends to value collectivism over individualism," she said. "It is success-oriented as well. People often think they should sacrifice everything to attain so-called success and K-pop industry insiders are no exception. Banning the stars from dating and confiscating their mobile phones are the rules that infringe on their rights, but are still rampant."
Jung pointed out efficiency is one of the big reasons that many entertainment firms prefer groups over individual singers.
"Launching a successful group is less challenging than launching a successful soloist," he said. "That's because people with different talents such as dancers and singers can work together as a team that has everything fans would want from K-pop. It is efficient for the companies, but it comes with costs," he said.
"The recent bullying scandals show that talent management companies should focus more on developing the characters of each of their singers so that they can be more considerate and collaborative."
Lee said, "But still, the singers should not be deprived of the opportunities to learn to make their own decisions and they need more chances to socialize with others."
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