These K-pop idols, who started at a young age, sadly suffered health issues rooted in laborious training, pressure, and obstacles ahead of the path that they decided to take.
In the K-pop industry, idols usually start their career when they are minors. Some actually debut at the age of 13, which means their training period started even before they were teens.
One of the examples was TWICE Jeongyeon, who suspended her activities multiple times since 2020 due to her neck disk and anxiety disorder. She started training when she was 13 and debuted at 18.
During this period, teens experience a lot of changes in their bodies and personalities as they rapidly grow. But these idols, unfortunately, had to face all of these while undergoing a strict diet, intense training and the pressure of being able to debut.
Ultimately, their full-packed activities took a toll on their health, and several idols already complained of having a poor conditions in 2023.
6 Idols Who Debuted as Minors, and Eventually Suffered Health Issues
1. ALICE DoA and Yeonje
On March 6, IOK Company announced the temporary suspension of ALICE DoA and Yeonje's activities due to poor health conditions. The two recently visited the hospital and decided to take a break after receiving opinions from medical staff that they needed sufficient rest and stability.
Doa and Yeonje were both born in 1999 and debuted at the age of 18.
DRIPPIN Alex
In January, DRIPPIN Alex, born in 2004, was only 16 years old when he debuted. But prior to that, he was already a child model, working for "Global Junior Show" in 2011 and EBS' "Ggurugi Life Inquiry" in 2012.
In early 2023, Alex showed signs of poor health, and after discussions with his parents and agency, he had time to concentrate on recovering his health.
TNX Jun Hyeok
In January, Jun Hyeok also stopped his schedule with TNX due to health issues. He was born in 2004 and was a minor when he debuted. Later on, he showed signs of anxiety.
Due to this, its agency P-Nation said:
"Cheon Joon-hyuk was recently examined at a specialized medical institution due to anxiety symptoms caused by a decrease in physical strength. It was diagnosed by a specialist that he needed sufficient rest and stability."
LAPILLUS Chanty
Chanty, a Filipina-Argentinian K-pop idol, also delivered the news of her short break after health problems.
Before debuting in Korea at the age of 19, she was a child star in the Philippines, who worked as an actress and model starting when she was 16.
NCT Haechan
In January, NCT Haechan, who's a member of three units - NCT 127, NCT Dream and NCT U - since he was 16, also suspended his activities after suffering from health issues.
Sadly, when asked about how to relieve stress, the idol only replied:
"It's going to pass anyway, and it's going to be something to talk about with a smile someday, so it's going to pass while we bump into each other."
DKZ Munik
Born in 2001, Munik debuted as DKZ at the age of 18. But he was only 16 when he started training to become an idol. He made his face known by appearing in the drama "Big Issue," EBS1 "Beast of Asia S1," and MBC's "King of Masked Singer," but has been suspended for more than a year in 2021 after poor health condition.
In February 2023, he left the group.
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