It's common knowledge for K-Pop fans that idols split their revenue with their company, whether 50/50 or less. However, some idols have spoken out and revealed that they were either not properly paid for the work they did or just flat out not paid at all.
1. Yeonwoo
Yeonwoo is a former member of MOMOLAND who debuted with the group in 2016. She was part of the original line-up, as she was selected to be a member from the survival show "Finding Momoland." In 2018, the group saw breakthrough success with "Bboom Bboom," earning them numerous music show wins and virality worldwide. Despite the success, however, Yeonwoo revealed in February 2019 that she was not paid for the three years of work she put in as a member of MOMOLAND.
In an episode of "Vilage Survival, the Eight Season 2", Yoo Jae Suk had asked Yeonwoo, "If you win 10 million won, what would you do with it?" Yeonwoo revealed that if she did win that much money, it would be her first paycheck, and she would buy food that's over her current food budget.
In late 2019, it was announced Yeonwoo would be leaving the group but stay in MLD Entertainment to focus on her acting activities. In June 2020, however, Yeonwoo posted to her fan cafe alluding she had been kicked out.
2. Sunghyun
Sunghyun debuted as a member of IN2IT after appearing on the survival show "Boys 24". The group was originally signed to MMO Entertainment and Stone Music Entertainment, but has departed from the companies in January 2020, and the group will be moving forward without a label. Sunghyun left the group in 2019, citing personal reasons.
In a statement on his personal Instagram (posted in 2019), Sunghyun revealed he was never paid for his work in the two years he promoted. He said the only money he ever received from the company was 50,000 Korean won every month to pay for his phone bill. He stated that his agency told him that they had invested too much on "Boys24" that they could not invest in IN2IT, going so far to force members to pay for their hair dyes and cuts. The company allegedly had no plans for its future.
His father at the time was working as a taxi driver as Sunghyun was not being paid, but had to stop due to his herniated disc. When Sunghyun informed the company of his predicament, they told him to pay $250,000USD to dissolve the contract, which was eventually brought down to $100,000. Sunghyun said he felt wronged by the company, as they haven't paid him for two years.
3. Dayul and Daon
Dayul and Daon debuted with Baby Boo under Hyunda Company. The group underwent numerous line-up changed and unofficially disbanded as a trio. Both Dayul and Daon were active members of the group until August of 2018.
They revealed on "True Story" that despite going to around 500 different events in their four years of activities, their CEO never paid for them. They also revealed that their CEO had never paid for their lessons and pressured the girls to undergo surgery and diet.
4. The Rose
The Rose debuted in 2017 under J&Star Company, but was already a popular indie group prior to their official debut.
In February 2020, The Rose filed a lawsuit against J&Star Company to terminate their contract, citing that the company had failed to provide payment ever since their debut. They also claimed that they were overworked by their agency, forcing them to promote with rigorous schedules. They noted that their company had pledged to provide them with monthly revenue reports, but they never did.
J&Star Company denied said accusations, and in March 2020, they refuted all of The Rose's claims and stressed that they would be taking the appropriate counter legal actions for violation of contract and defamation of character.
5. STELLAR
STELLAR was a girl group under The Entertainment Pascal that debuted in 2011 and disbanded in 2018.
Member Minhee released a question-and-answer video on her YouTube channel with Gayoung. There, she noted that yes, they did book a lot of events, but that doesn't mean they made a lot of money. She did mention that when they promoted "Marionette," they had booked a lot of events, leading their CEO to give them a bonus for that month. The two revealed that if you added all the profits they made for the seven years they promoted, it wouldn't even add up to 10 million won for each member. 10 Million Korean won is approximately $9,000.
Gayoung mentioned that people think they made a lot of money because they booked a lot of events and are just cosplaying as victims. She stressed that that is not the case and that they really didn't make as much profit as people say they did.
6. SECRET and B.A.P
Both artists debuted under TS Entertainment, with SECRET debuting in 2009 and B.A.P debuting in 2012.
Member Hyosung revealed in 2018 that the company has not paid her since 2015 despite the idol finishing all of her schedules. Despite not being paid, Hyosung was willing to forfeit years of money owed to her just to nullify her contract with the company, and even give up a portion of the contract deposit. She filed a legal dispute against them in 2017, a year before revealing she was not being paid.
Member Jieun also filed a legal dispute against the company in 2017, which she won in 2018. It was revealed that the company had sold her exclusive contract rights to a third party without her consent, as well as delayed paying her for her lessons, rent, and car lease as stated in her contract. SECRET disbanded in March 2018.
B.A.P, as a group, filed a lawsuit against TS Entertainment in late 2014. The group had filed the lawsuit on the grounds on unfair working conditions and profit distributions. Their statements claimed that the group had earned $9 million USD in three years, but each member was only paid $18,000 USD. B.A.P disbanded in March 2019.
