Despite being in the limelight and circled by the public, K-pop idols are still susceptible to hardships and fraud. This harsh reality was unfortunately experienced by these K-pop idols, who only wants to achieve their dreams and live happily.
This is justified by former K-pop idol, MBLAQ's G.O, who revealed that most agencies scammed their trainees and K-pop idol artists, especially the rookie ones. According to G.O, the agencies would not share the details about the contract between them and the rookies, making all of their profits go to the company.
Meanwhile, here are some of the K-pop idols who experienced being scammed during their trainee and idol days.
1. IU
The "Nation's Sweet Heart," Lee Ji Eun or popularly known as IU, despite currently living the glamorous and wealthy life with a stable career, still has a painful past of being scammed when she's only starting to enter the industry. Due to their problem in finance, IU tried her luck to become a K-pop idol. However, it is not easy, as after auditioning for 20 agencies, no one wants to accept her as a trainee.
Due to this, she visited a music agency, who told her she could only be trained and go out on television if she's going to pay a trainee fee. IU is desperate that she trusted her money to the agency, but little did she know that it was a fraud, after disappearing on the next day of her visit.
2. Girls' Day Sojin
Just like IU, Girls' Day Sojin also dreamed of becoming a K-pop star. Starting as a trainee, her agency told them that they could debut once they give them 2 Million Won as a fee. She did pay and continue training in the same agency for months. However, their chief manager whom they trusted flew away with their money, leaving her helpless.
After the incident, Sojin's parents didn't talk to her for months, as they initially advised her not to do it. However, after debuting with Girls' Day, she gained her parent's trust once again and made them proud.
3. B.A.P
The K-pop group, BAP, who rose into popularity in 2012 after their debut with, "Warrior," faced a lawsuit with their company in 2014, due to an alleged "Slave Contract."
According to the members, the company doesn't have financial transparency, as well as they were paid poorly. Their contract started in 2011, but they started receiving their income in 2014, approximately $16,000 per member, and that's for their three-year income. Breaking down their profit, it means that they only received almost $450 per month-which can't be compared to their hard work.
4. BLOCK B
BLOCK B, despite the popularity, experienced the downfall of their career as well. Despite being a rookie group, in 2012 and 2013, they've faced back-to-back controversies, including the lawsuit with their former agency.
According to BLOCK B, their lawsuit's essence involves their salary, which wasn't given since 2011. Despite working hard on promotions, recordings, Fanclub activities, and working on their songs for their albums, they never got back anything. On top of that, prior to their debut, the members also claimed that the company scammed their parents with $70,000, which is initially planned to be used for "production and promotion cost." However, company money also disappeared.
5. Son Dambi
The K-pop singer, Son Dambi, also experienced harsh betrayal from her former manager. In 2008, which is the peak of her career after debuting in 2007, she once went back home only to find out that she was robbed. However, the culprit is not just any random stranger but, it is in fact, her trusted manager, who even rent out a removal truck to gather all of her apartment's furniture, belongings and even undergarments!
According to reports, the manager faced severe gambling debts, leading him to rob the idol-actress.
6. BLACKPINK's Lisa
The most recent case of scamming in the K-industry, involves the biggest star of the new K-pop generation, BLACKPINK's Lisa. On June 2020, netizens and K-pop enthusiasts felt mixed emotions for Lisa and her manager, after the reports claiming that the female idol was scammed by her manager since debut. It is a painful betrayal as the two were very close to each other, and have the brother-sister relationship praised by the netizens.
However, it has been brought to light that Manager 'A' scammed Lisa's $1.1 Million to spend on gambling. This is after Lisa trusted him her money, who promised to invest it in a real estate in Korea.
