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[Mina is the one on the left and Jimin is the one on the right][Trigger Warning: Self H*rm, Su*cide, Bullying][Notice: This post is very long, and will be updated when there is something new going on]-On July 3rd, Kwon Min Ah posted on her Instagram black posts, with long captions detailing years of bullying she faced from AOA’s Leader, Shin Ji Min.This includes, Jimin preventing Mina from visiting her father while he was dying, telling her things such as to get lost, Shaming her body figure, Scaring and Threatening her, Physically Abusing and tormenting her, how FNC Entertainment did not do anything about it despite Mina’s claims to Jimin bullying her and how she had been bullied by her since she was Trainee [Mina began training for FNC in 2009].Mina also stated that after Jimin’s father had recently passed away (In April), She visited the funeral hall to show some support toward Jimin, Jimin then cried and apologized to her.During the time that Mina was posting these posts, Jimin posted on her Instagram story with the word “fiction”, which was quickly deleted.Mina, as expected, was outraged by what Jimin had posted on her Instagram story and had furthermore posted other posts explaining that as a result of a decade-long of bullying she faced from Jimin, she had to take sleeping pills to fall asleep, had to put on a fake smile, and had attempted su*cide and committed self h*rm. She had also stated that she was completely broken by Jimin’s actions and that members of her family were also suffering.According to Mina, there are witnesses and evidence of what Jimin had done.The Self h*rm that Mina had committed to herself was not minor at all, in which she had cut quite deep in and many have commented stating that the scars that Mina had cut on her wrist would require stitches.It is clear in her posts that she was frustrated with Jimin when Jimin was going through a tough time in her matters, Jimin received prescribed medication and help, which in comparison to Mina, who had not received any assistance. And also frustration on how Jimin is living her life while she is suffering because of her.Then Mina further stated that During their contract renewal, the reason she did not renew was because of Jimin and as a result had left both AOA and FNC. Mina is currently signed to Woori Actors.Throughout these posts, I believe that Mina was in a state of outrage in which it is clear that she had really poured out her anger and frustration.Woori Actors had released a statement stating that they were contacting her and that she was regaining emotional stability.Link for further references and the translations or her posts: Update: Former AOA Member Mina Posts Allegations Detailing Years Of Harassment From JiminWhat Mina was trying to do was to get Jimin to sincerely apologize to her and reflect on what she had done.This became controversial as Jimin was the leader of AOA and how serious the allegations were.Many people (both I-Netz and K-Netz) showed Support for Mina, and outrage and disgust against Jimin. Some were even asking for Jimin to get thrown out of FNC and AOA, Getting blacklisted from the industry, and getting her social media taken down.-Mina said in a post, which she said would final post regarding the matter: she apologized for the concern and explained how a lot of people came to her place to comfort and talk with her that night.During the Dusk Hours (In which I believe that at that 12 AM - 2 AM time), All of the AOA Members and Managers had come to her house and they had a talk.In the post, she had stated that Jimin was angry at first and that she was in disbelief, She and Jimin had argued, in which Jimin asked where the knives were and if killing herself would be enough. Both of them later settled down from the arguing and talked, Jimin stated that she does not remember what has happened and Mina explained to her all the times where she was hurt by her.Mina then further explained that she wasn't in her right mind either and that Jimin did not recall much of the allegations and how she didn't remember all either but they were talking face to face.In Jimin’s point of view, everything was settled at her father’s funeral in which she had Apologized to Mina. Mina said she was only there to show support to Jimin and that on the day of the funeral they did not have an actual talk about what happened between them.Their Talk continued and Jimin said she was sorry, and she had apologized to her and Mina had accepted her apology, after the apology, Jimin left her house with the remaining AOA Members.Mina said she does not feel any intention from Jimin to sincerely apologize, but she also said that it could be just because she was so mad at her.The post ended with Mina stating that she was going to Move on from the decade of bullying and abuse, regain her composure, receive treatment, and improve her mental health.This is what Mina said would be the full stop.Throughout the post, Mina did not mention what the other members and managers did or say during their talk at her house.-The Posts had caused public outrage against Jimin, in which many stating that she was gaslighting and that she had not even sincerely apologized for what she had done.Some people had stated that all the harassment that Jimin is currently facing and all the hate comments are “what she deserves” and is Karma.Some other people said that they had a bad feeling of Jimin all along and had “never liked her”, “always hated her” and “she was a b*tch all along”.Some other people have stated that they were just going to stay out of the entire thing.Many have stated that they never want to see Jimin ever again, Jimin’s apology is the worst apology that they have heard and how she doesn't deserve to exist.Numerous people began criticizing Seolhyun [Note: Seolhyun is Jimin’s Best friend and they have matching tattoos together], for being friends with Jimin and how she was a “bystander” of the bullying.People are speculating if Mina is the only person that Jimin had bullied or if Seolhyun was also involved in bullying her.During this time, videos were resurfacing of which netizens claim to be Jimin bullying Mina, Some of the videos which were stated as proof happen to have been edited videos created by netizens.-Jimin on her Instagram issued an official apology towards Mina and the public and how remorseful she is towards her actions. She also stated that she felt like she could only show the good sides of the group [AOA] to the public. From the apology, I can tell that Jimin yesterday was distraught in how she revealed that she had “begged and cried again”.Jimin’s apology according to my observations is not well received and many stating that she had claimed mina’s allegations as “fiction” less than a day ago. Some have stated that it is not sincere enough and that she is trash and should go die. And with some others saying that she had only apologized because of the backlash she had faced.As Mina mentioned on how Jimin apologized during the funeral, I think during this point Jimin was already regretful about what she had done.-Shortly after Jimin posted her apology, Mina said that Jimin did not beg and said that Jimin had brought a man to their dorm and had s** with him and as a result, Mina slept in the practice room. Mina also said that Jimin bullied her because she wanted her to be on the “right path”. Mina also stated that Jimin is not apologetic for what she had done and still hates her. The response hints that the AOA members are on Jimin’s side on this bullying scandal.This post is extremely concerning as she says “I’ll say what I have to say before I leave”-Following the bullying allegations, The Interview from AOA Member Chanmi’s mother had resurfaced. In this interview, Chanmi’s mother stated how her daughter was suffering from severe depression and the treatment of FNC towards the group members. According to her mother, Chanmi had not been paid for 5 years and she was banned from using a personal phone.-On July 3rd, shortly after Mina’s posts, Former AOA Black (AOA Black was an AOA Sub-unit which comprised Jimin, Yuna, Choa, Mina, and Yookyung) member Yookyung posted an ambiguous message on Instagram which came with the caption “The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is give up on today” + “To be honest, everything looked the same to me back then” then she wrote in English - “I can’t forget the eyes of the bystanders”. The post’s captions were followed by the lyrics of the song “Leave It All Behind” by Sleeping with Sirens. The post garnered much speculation from the public and numerous netizens connected it with what happened between Mina and Jimin. On July 6th, Yookyung posted an official apology to the public for the confusion over her previous post. This apology fueled speculation as she mentions that she was struggling but could not imagine that someone was in the same position as her. Many began to speculate that she was another victim of the bullying by Jimin, but as of now, there is no direct confirmation. Yookyung was only a member of the sub-unit, AOA Black, and was never an official part of AOA, Yookyung Left FNC in October 2016.-As announced by FNC, Jimin has made the decision to leave AOA and to halt her activities in the industry but her contract with FNC is not terminated as of now. FNC also states in their statement that they take full responsibility for what has happened, during the entire statement that had not mentioned Mina. Reactions towards her leaving were generally positive, many stating that it’s for the better, Many saying it is what Mina wanted and what they wanted, Many others celebrating and some others even stating that AOA at this point should just disband._After about a month of the original posts, On August 6, 2020, Mina began posting about this scandal once again.She posted a post with a picture of her cut wrist with stitches and with a long caption.Throughout this post, Mina had revealed that she had exchanged KakaoTalk Messages with a Current FNC Employee in July. She asked what does the statement mean by Jimin apologized and she said that Jimin shouldn't lie. The employee responded by saying that they’d check again and said it had looked like what it is to them. She proceeded by saying that she gives up on getting an apology from Jimin. Mina found the FNC’s Employees' replies outrageous and had begun to cut herself again.Her Current Manager rushed her to a hospital in which her wrist was cut so much that the nerves were extensively damaged and the anesthetic would not work. As a result, Mina had to get painkillers injected.Mina said that her Ex-Manager stayed by her side the whole time, She is worried that Jimin may be able to get back into the group and industry when things have calmed down. She says that Jimin will never understand what she has gone through and took down the “fiction” Instagram story only because her manager told her to do so.FNC did get Mina a psychiatrist after all of that, but Mina is concerned that the psychiatrist might have told someone else about her story as the psychiatrist told her other people’s stories (It is Illegal to do that).Mina also states that she and her family had never complained about anything in the Agency whether it was her Training debt or Payment. She hopes to get better and live a better life. In Mina’s view, FNC and Jimin are not sincere at all, and that she now can’t sleep. She continued by stating that FNC does not care about her as she says how they have never contacted her and that during contract renewal when Mina told them she could not renew her contract because of a certain person [Jimin], they didn't bother to ask her about how she was suffering and instead talked about the damages of a breached contract. Mina ends the FNC section of the post by saying that it’s too late for a sincere apology and they should think about and care for everyone else currently under the label so this does not happen again.In the last section of the post, She says that the people supporting her and her current label caring about her helps her a lot. She then clarified that she is an attention-seeker but not attention-seeking through this scandal. She personally feels resentful for everyone who came to save her, she then ends the entire post by saying that she can’t sleep because of all the concerns and questions that she has and hopes that all of this won’t happen to someone else again.-Woori Actors then reassured everyone by stating that she is currently in Good Health and is resting after her recent discharge.-She then released a second post later in which she talks about the rest of the Current AOA members and some clarification about the previous post. During this post, she does not give out names but she does call them by their surname, but through the hints given I have managed to crack down who is who.She said that after unfollowing the members on Instagram, there were a lot of questions about the things that have happened.She says that Seolhyun did not bat an eye even when Jimin spoke ill of Seolhyun. She used to think of Seolhyun as a good friend but did not get closer to her as she is the best friend of Jimin. Mina says she got worried about Seolhyun and gave her advice. All the members know about the bullying going on and that Mina was having a hard time because of Jimin, they spoke together but Seolhyun just said that she didn't care what happens and just doesn't like the current situation. Mina concludes that in her point of view, Seolhyun is a bystander and that she was disappointed in what Seolhyun had said.When everyone came to Mina’s place where Jimin gave her an apology (Mina says that the apology didn't even seem like an apology), Chanmi asked Mina what was a good memory she had, Mina says she couldn't understand why she said that. Mina said that Chanmi would talk bad about Jimin in front of her, but behind Mina’s back, she would appease Jimin.Yuna was the one who sincerely cared and thought about Mina.Hyejeong asked Jimin why she couldn't remember (all the things she had done) and that She and everyone knew about it. Hyejeong told Mina to receive a proper apology from Jimin.Mina ended the post by concluding that Chanmi and Seolhyun in her view are the bystanders and it explains why she unfollowed them first, She said that she wanted to erase her memories of AOA and as a consequence unfollowed all of them.-Some assume that Mina is attention-seeking as they believed that everything was cleared up in July and that she shouldn't drag this on for another decade.Countless others sided with Mina and understood that she was still in a fragile mental state and showed support towards her.Some netizens had shown disgust at FNC, for not caring about her.Some other people think that she needs to step off social media and get proper treatment and help.-Later that day, she deleted the two posts that she had posted and released a post regarding the matter of Jimin’s Apology.In this post, Mina claims that she had only spoken the truth and wasn't trying to turn everyone into a perpetrator just because she was a victim. She states that she has made mistakes too and has a personality problem, Then she continued by saying that she really wants to receive a sincere apology. She revealed that she had attempted to have a conversation with “the people at that place” (I believe that it is FNC or Jimin), but could not get in contact with them. She personally is scared of how she may become more wrecked and scared of what she can do, she ended the post by apologizing.-Many have shown encouragement to Mina, telling her to move on as well as some demanding FNC and Jimin to issue a sincere apology.I checked Mina’s Instagram account and it seems to me that she had deleted some of the previous allegation posts and posts of her scars.-At this point, I think it is still a very delicate situation and really only a small portion of the entire scandal has come to light. As of now, nobody else involved in the scandal has openly expressed their thoughts regarding the Mina-Jimin bullying controversy.-There was another update on August 8, 2020, with Mina posting an extremely concerning post targeting Jimin, Seolhyun, and the Founder of FNC.In this post, she posted a picture of her cut wrist and told them to compensate her family lavishly for psychological damage, saying that the 3 of them don’t care about anything but money and that she was not paid properly.She then continued by stating that under her contract she was an illegal trainee for 8 years and never got a breakdown over a 3 billion KRW (2.5 million USD) debt. She called them out for being “unspeakable trash” as they cornered a healthy person to death.She ends the post by concluding that she wants to go to a happy place and if she dies, she will haunt them and that told them not to come to her funeral as she says that she can’t live while supporting evil.The post was later taken down.-Shortly after the post, Woori Actors stated that police and emergency services have been contacted, ambulance services have arrived, and their staff, as they speak, are on their way to her house. Later, they updated by stating that Mina is currently in hospital receiving treatment and that her life is currently not in danger.-Netizens have commented that the post was disturbing and that she should be taken to a facility where she is monitored 24/7 to prevent any future damage.-Woori Actors gave an update the following day that Mina would be discharged soon and after a recommendation from medical professionals, she would move in with her mother and receive further treatment.-Shortly after Woori Actors update on Mina’s condition, FNC Entertainment released an Official Statement regarding this matter.In the statement, FNC states that they are sincerely apologetic about the concern with many unfortunate matters relating to AOA and they extended their apologies to Kwon Mina who is currently going through a difficult time.They apologize for the delay in their statement and apologize for failing to have carefully taken care of the relationship between the AOA Members. They revealed that they have contemplated and hesitated several times regarding delivering their stance regarding this matter.FNC Entertainment gave an update on the other AOA Members stating that they have been spending the days with frustration over criticism from the public and misunderstandings about them.FNC Entertainment further then concluded that explaining and refuting things regarding this scandal would only fuel the fire and do more harm than good. They have discouraged the members from making individual statements although the members had wished to as there would be fights over it.In the statement, they did mention Mina’s text exchange with FNC employees in which Mina asked about Jimin’s status and plans for activities. FNC claims that they did not respond as Jimin had already personally told the company that she does not intends to have any plans and wishes to live a non-celebrity life.Mina called FNC out yesterday regarding payment issues, FNC responded to that in their statement that they have been abiding by industry-standard and if there are any problems they will take legal responsibility.They closed the statement wishing for Mina’s recovery and that they will work hard to a solution and asked the public to show support and cheer for Mina.-Some Commenters continued to criticize the agency by telling them it’s too late for an apology, the statement is bulls***, and that they have lost public respect should just go to hell.-During the morning of August 10th, Woori Actors Updated that Mina has been discharged and is currently resting at her mother’s home. They continued that Mina would not be involved in any activities until she has fully recovered.-Mina returned to Instagram on the 11th of August, In which she apologized to the public and all those who supported her during this difficult time and everyone who saw those scar photos. Her Former FNC Family Members stayed by her side all night long. She had met with FNC Chairman Han Sung Ho earlier that day and could feel his sincerity in the words he spoke. She apologized again to all the fans, acquaintances, family, and AOA Fans who went through a hard time because of this. The post concluded by saying that she will reflect and work hard on her treatment and that this does not happen again.-Some Netizens commented that she did not need to apologize, with some others stating that FNC Entertainment, AOA Members, and Jimin should be the ones writing apologies instead.Some other commenters speculated that she has a bi-polar personality in which they say explains why she went from one extreme to another.-After a month of silence from Jimin, It was discovered that she had taken down all her videos on her YouTube Channel.-On the 12th of August, Mina had deleted the apology she had written the day earlier and a source from Woori Actors told Hankook Ilbo [A Korean newspaper] that Mina has decided that she would focus on her treatment and has deleted her Instagram account.-People have shown support for her and many have agreed that Mina stepping off social media is a good choice and wishes her the best with her treatment.-According to an exclusive report from Joongang Ilbo [A Korean newspaper], On the 13th of August, the Gangnam Police Station began a preliminary internal investigation into the Bullying of Kwon Mina. The report stated that it was a civil complaint sent to the police station on the 9th by an unnamed longtime Elvis [AOA Fan]. Since the complaint was sent in by a fan who is not directly involved in it, For the investigation to continue, the victim has to appear to talk to the detectives in charge.Woori Actors had stated to 동아닷컴 that it is true that they have received a call from the police regarding it and after further discussion with Mina, they have decided to turn down the investigation as she still is in a fragile mental state and that this is not giving her strength but instead making it worse.The Agency later then reaffirmed to OSEN that they have requested the Police not investigate this as Mina has no intention of reporting and does not want to have anything to do with the investigation.-Some fans began raising suspicion towards this decision stating that she must have something to hide. Others said that they respected this decision as it was her own choice as well and that doing this investigation would be stressful for her. One netizen had made a comment saying that because she is in an unstable condition (in which she can go from one extreme to another), people should not take her internet comments too seriously and that after proper treatment and when her mental health is back in good form, she may regret the social media comments that she has made.-Woori Actors later stated that a future investigation into this controversy could cause Mina’s emotions to blow up again and that it could result in dangerous consequences. The agency’s current top priority is her psychological stability and for her to focus on her treatment.-On September 26th, 2020, Woori Actors announced that Mina has parted ways with the agency citing that she wanted to focus on her wellbeing and is taking a hiatus for the time being. Her contract was terminated following negotiations shortly after her 27th birthday on September 21st.-Shortly after it was revealed that Mina had left Woori Actors, Jimin set her Instagram account to private. Her Instagram account was opened back to the public shortly after, since her public apology on Instagram, Jimin has been inactive on social media.-Mina returned to Instagram days after she departed from Woori Actors with a selfie of herself.-On October 5, 2020, Mina took to her Instagram and revealed a series of death threats and malicious DMS she has received from a netizen along with the screenshots, which included the netizen's Instagram username.She then publicly clapped back at this netizen and told them in the caption to shut up.Some fans began to get concerned that she may have relapsed and flooded the comment section with kind words of encouragement.-On October 7, 2020, Mina reassured fans in an Instagram post stating that a lot of people got worried about her following the DMs but she only feels hurt and remembers the things that are said by people she knows and the people around her. She then continued stating that she is not affected by insults thrown at her by strangers. Mina gave an update that she is doing a lot better and only posted the DMs to vent her anger, she concluded that she has not been in touch or meeting the people around her and does not want to be hurt again and told fans not to worry about her.-During the early hours of October 26, 2020, Mina took to Instagram and posted a picture of herself, captioning that she had trouble sleeping, no matter how many sleeping pills she takes, she is unable to fall asleep. She then goes on to state that she has lost trust in the people she has met and her anxiety makes it difficult to meet up with people. She asked Fans for recommendations of any psychiatrist that gives good advice and good prescriptions in the Dongtan or Ilsan Area.-Many Netizens supported her, but some others feel like she returned to social media too quickly and should stop posting her personal issues on Instagram.-Since she departed from Woori Actors, Mina has started a beauty business in collaboration with a cosmetics company, something which mina has previously stated was a dream of hers. According to my observations and her latest Instagram posts, mina appears to be in a good condition.-On Christmas eve 2020, Mina posted a lengthy Instagram post with a red photo.She started by calling out malicious commenters who she belives are Jimin’s fans for coming to her account and attacking her for “ruining Jimin’s life”, she then accused them of being “murderers” and stated that Jimin keeps coming back to her in her thoughts and dreams, which prevents her from falling asleep.Mina also expressed how all she has ever told was the truth and Jimin’s even worse than all the allegations that have been publicized against her. As Mina has mentioned in earlier posts, she feels like Jimin never acknowledged what she has done or apologized.According to Mina, Jimin does not remember the alleged things she’s done to Mina and won’t acknowledge it either. She then revealed because of Jimin, she lives on medication and can’t control herself, she also states that she wants to take revenge on Jimin.Mina felt like she didn't gather all the evidence of Jimin’s actions and foolishly felt like she could turn Jimin around. On the day, where Jimin visited her following the publicized allegations, Mina thought Jimin was recording with her cell phone, and as a result, did not cuss her out. She asks the malicious commenters if they pity the person who did all that she wanted and abused her power.She concluded the lengthy post by stressing how they don’t know about what she has been through and asks them to not bring this topic up as she is suffering.-Netizens have shown support for Mina, leaving her encouraging messages and wishing for her recovery. There have been netizens who have commented that Mina should step away from social media completely until she is fully recovered and that 1 month of hiatus is not enough. Some other netizens accused Mina of using this scandal for the promotion of her products.-On January 18th, 2021, Mina posted a lengthy Instagram post, calling out an AOA Fan who claimed that Mina is ruining many people’s lives (including AOA Members) through the comments that she had made on Social Media and how Mina has not provided any solid evidence of the entire bullying incident.Mina responded that in recent times she is having fun and getting better by doing the things she wants to do. Mina states that she wants to stop hearing about Jimin time and time again and did not provide evidence as it would fuel the flames once more. Mina wants to put the entire incident to bed and blames Jimin for why she commits self-harm.Throughout the scandal, Jimin has become a punching bag and a Magnet for Hate comments, and Mina believes that she is not the reason for this and that she is receiving the same amount of hate Jimin is currently receiving.Following this post, Mina uploaded a picture of her diagnosis from the hospital and that she has received treatment from February 27th, 2016 to March 20th, 2018. The Hospital wrote that she had been bullied by Jimin and has attempted suicide multiple times. In the caption, Mina writes that she began taking sleeping pills since she was 20 and it was around 2015/16 when it became unbearable. She has been going to several different hospitals to find a cure but pills no longer affect her.Some Netizens are asking her to Stay Strong and focus on the love she is receiving over the hate comments and that they truly believe her. While there have been others who are more critical about Mina and are calling her entitled and that she is only providing evidence that she is mentally unstable and not that she has been bullied.-On April 26, 2021, Mina Uploaded a graphic photo of her self-harm scars with trails of blood surrounding it. In the caption of the post, she called out her critics, asking them if this post makes them feel squeamish and if they feel like she is doing this for sympathy, then show her some sympathy.Mina claims to have been seeing a mental health professional for over 10 years. She concludes by telling her critics, that they know nothing about her and that they are ripping her apart. This post was shortly deleted.Netizens have continued to show support to Mina, asking her to stay strong and healthy. Others have continued to plead her to step off social media for the sake of her health. Some have criticized her for giving attention to hate comments when she receives thousands of other positive ones.-The Scars on Mina were first noticed back in June 2020 in which she posted on Instagram with the caption “packed” then later deleted. Some people suspected that it was self-harm and others saying that it was just a burn mark.-Since July, AOA Members Seolhyun, Yuna, and Hyejeong have returned to Instagram. Former AOA member Choa has returned to the music industry following 3 years of hiatus after leaving the group in 2017 due to health issues.On New Year’s Day, 2021, FNC Entertainment announced that Yuna departed FNC Entertainment.-I think that this entire scandal should be a wake-up call to people on how artists may be suffering from mental illnesses but are ignored and how things are not what it seems on the outside.I am not supportive of the “Bully the Bully” campaign that is going in which stans state that they want Jimin to feel the same pain and go through the same thing that Mina did (I’m talking about the su*cide attempt and the self h*rm). Bullying the Bully is not going to help anyone in any way.Mina’s posts to me were very concerning and I do not believe that it is entirely fake of what Jimin claims is “fiction”. Only if she was telling the truth that her posts have the emotions, frustration, hurt, and anger that it conveys.I think that people should not throw themselves into this because we are not the witnesses (unless you actually are) and we are not Mina or Jimin.What I think people should be doing is sending support to Mina to show that she is heard and supported during this difficult time.Throughout the research for this post, I read thousands of internet comments, some have even said that they were shocked as they said they thought the group members were “family”.I also think about how companies market the “Family” Image in between groups should be brought to light. Many people think group members love each other and respect each other like family, when they behind the curtains, could have hatred towards each other (Note: this is not a generalization, indeed some groups do have actual friendships and relationships with each other).-I Apologize if this may inflict pain and trauma to the readers of this post.

The TLDR; version would be:Unless you are in the top 5% of the industry, you pretty much earn peanuts (worse than minimum wage). For some, even to the extent of being in debt.< Example #1 - Stellar >Stellar (active 2011 – 2018) has shared that they earned a total of less than $10k each over the 7 years of their group being active[1][1][1][1]. That is approx $1.4k per member per year. Imagine living off $120 per month. I will post a video at the end of the post regarding a Q&A session that some of their members did. And FYI, Stellar is considered relatively average in the industry (rough approx).< Example #2 - Orange Caramel >Orange Caramel (active 2010 - 2016) revealed that Raina got ~$6.7k while Nana and Lizzy received ~$9.5k each for their first pay check (and they are paid every 6 months[2][2][2][2]). This equates to averagely $17.1k per member per year (or $1.4k per month). We can somewhat guess why they used a figure which was 5 years ago. They too, have moderate success in the K-Pop industry.To understand how much does K-Pop idols make, you must first understand how the industry works.< The Label Wields The Power >In the US, the artist is the one who brings value to the label. They are the one who is well-known (and sometimes the song writer). As a result, the artist usually holds the leverage regarding what can or cannot be done (or what they want to do). That is also why it is pretty obvious when the artist gets involved in some kind of scandal or mess up somewhere. There isn’t a lot of PR protection when it comes to the West because the labels don’t want to over invest, while the artists are usually ignorant about such matters.Now contrast this with Korea, it is an industry where the label picks out potential artists (called trainees) and then groom them to be the next K-Pop idol. This system has been so well honed that even China is trying to copy it right now. What this means is that the label has a lot of control over what the artists can or cannot do (which is also why there aren’t as many scandals as compared to the West) and they will likely enforce more things on the ‘unknown’ trainee to protect their investments.So why is this important?< Trainees Accumulate Debt >Grooming trainees in skills like singing, dancing, rapping (or songwriting) requires a lot of money. Studios need to be equipped; trainers need to be paid; some need to be provided lodging / food, etc. All these are monetary investments (approx $30k monthly[3][3][3][3]) into a potential trainee. Note the key word here is ‘potential’. This also means that there is a possible loss of money as well, if the trainees do not debut and become successful. So, many labels will impose a form of debt in which the trainees owe to the label that is paid back when they debut. Think of this as something similar to a college loan.Though I don’t think most labels force the trainees to pay back if they drop out, but then again, who would want to drop out? You have just spent essential years of your life (from around 16–24 years old) channelling attention to singing and dancing rather than studying like your peers. How many can actually switch back and catch up with academia?(A minor mention here is, according to what I’d consider hearsay, JYP is the only label that doesn’t require trainees to pay their debt back. Trainees debut on a clean slate.)< High Debut Costs >If they were to debut, we are talking about creating MVs, marketing costs, and travel, along with essential staff salaries, etc.JYP has shared that it takes approx $20k just to produce an album with 3 songs (song writing, production, recording)[4][4][4][4]. And wait, we have yet to factor in a music video which will be $120k per video. So if you want to do it for all 3 songs, it adds up to $360k already! Still, we have not factored in choreography, backup dancers, stage outfits, stage makeup, support staff, promotion through music broadcasts which will be another $400k in total.In the end, we are looking at a potential $800k price tag per album over here, which, as mentioned in the previous point, is added onto the debt list that the trainees owe the label. Note that this does not include the necessary staff that they need to have without releasing anything (e.g. driver, manager, stylist, etc).< Difficulty To Break Even (Cover Expenditures) >Factoring all the above, you start to see why most K-Pop artists don’t earn much. In order to pay back the debt, many of them only break even years later. You read that right… years, not months.A good example would be AOA which was one of the hottest girl groups for a period of time only broke even after 3 years of debut[5][5][5][5]. That means that they got their first pay check after 3 years of debut (on top of many more years as a trainee). And note that the key reason was because their popularity started picking up. Imagine if they were still “unknown” or a “small player” in the industry. They could still be in debt for much longer.Furthermore, the industry is now more saturated than ever before as compared to the past. Artists will need to do a lot more to stand out in the market to capture a piece of the local K-Pop pie (earnings). This has led to many of them venturing overseas into markets like Thailand, Philippines, China, or even the US.< Examples >And on to some final examples of how much K-Pop idols earn:Here is a Q&A sharing by Minhee and Gayoung about their time in Stellar.Another example, check out this video by former Crayon Pop member - Way.These groups are considered relatively average in terms of their “success” in the K-Pop industry. Their songs have went on Melon chart (top 100) previously. So we are not talking about some random YouTuber’s claim about how much they earned during their trainee / debut time, whose group’s name you probably have never even heard of before.It is quite sad considering many people think of being a K-Pop artist as a career. I’d say it will seem more like a “hobby” that requires a full-time job commitment. There are many idols who worked at least one or more side jobs in order to fund their passion in being a K-Pop artist.So back to the question, unless you are one of the top 5% (or have a really nice CEO who doesn’t impose the trainee debt onto you), you don’t really earn a lot (if any at all).Footnotes[1] Stellar's Earnings Amount To Less Than $10,000 In A Period Of 7 Years | Kpopmap[1] Stellar's Earnings Amount To Less Than $10,000 In A Period Of 7 Years | Kpopmap[1] Stellar's Earnings Amount To Less Than $10,000 In A Period Of 7 Years | Kpopmap[1] Stellar's Earnings Amount To Less Than $10,000 In A Period Of 7 Years | Kpopmap[2] Orange Caramel reveal they get paid every 6 months + talk about promoting separately from After School[2] Orange Caramel reveal they get paid every 6 months + talk about promoting separately from After School[2] Orange Caramel reveal they get paid every 6 months + talk about promoting separately from After School[2] Orange Caramel reveal they get paid every 6 months + talk about promoting separately from After School[3] HOW MUCH DOES KPOP COST TO PRODUCE?[3] HOW MUCH DOES KPOP COST TO PRODUCE?[3] HOW MUCH DOES KPOP COST TO PRODUCE?[3] HOW MUCH DOES KPOP COST TO PRODUCE?[4] Park Jin Young Reveals Surprisingly High Cost Of Feeding JYP Artists, Staff, And Trainees[4] Park Jin Young Reveals Surprisingly High Cost Of Feeding JYP Artists, Staff, And Trainees[4] Park Jin Young Reveals Surprisingly High Cost Of Feeding JYP Artists, Staff, And Trainees[4] Park Jin Young Reveals Surprisingly High Cost Of Feeding JYP Artists, Staff, And Trainees[5] AOA Finally Escapes Debt To FNC Entertainment, Paid For FIRST Time In 3 Years Since Debut[5] AOA Finally Escapes Debt To FNC Entertainment, Paid For FIRST Time In 3 Years Since Debut[5] AOA Finally Escapes Debt To FNC Entertainment, Paid For FIRST Time In 3 Years Since Debut[5] AOA Finally Escapes Debt To FNC Entertainment, Paid For FIRST Time In 3 Years Since Debut

The word iconic is defined as being widely recognized by people.There are so many songs to pick, but these are some of the most iconic ones.(Note: The oldest songs are the ones on the top of the lists. I also don’t want to add too many old songs.)Male K-pop Groups:SORRY SORRY - SUPER JUNIORA classic, a must-listen for new K-pop fans.Ring Ding Dong - SHINEETo be honest, I believe it’s the group’s most iconic song.You can also add Lucifer to this list!MIROTIC - TVXQ!Some K-pop fans say it’s a crime to not know this song.BANG BANG BANG - BIG BANGOne of their very iconic songs.Fantastic Baby - BIG BANGKinda like Gangnam Style, very addictive.Growl - EXOOne of EXO’s most iconic songs!DNA - BTSThis was very popular and contributed a lot to their popularity nowadays.Actually just listen to most of BTS’ songs, almost all of them are iconic.Don’t Wanna Cry - SEVENTEENThe choreo and the song, a masterpiece. I believe this is their most iconic song.Just Right - GOT7You rarely see GOT7 with a cute concept. This is one of their most iconic comebacks.Love Scenario - iKONThis song won song of the year and holds the record for the most weeks at number one, from what I’ve heard.Energetic - WANNA ONEThe debut song of the first boy group formed by PRODUCE 101, very iconic and catchy.Shine - PENTAGONThe dance played a huge role in this song’s success.Love Shot - EXOJust listen to it and watch the music video. 😂Cherry Bomb - NCT 127One of their most iconic if not the most. The song is very catchy and the choreo at the end though.Female K-pop Groups:Into the New World - Girl’s GenerationThey call this the anthem of K-pop fans, if I’m not mistaken.Gee - Girl’s GenerationA classic.Nobody - Wonder GirlsBack then, I’d hear this song all the time on the radio.I AM THE BEST - 2NE1Very iconic. Never going to forget this song.Bad Girl, Good Girl - miss AI’ve seen many covers of this!Miniskirt - AOAThe choreo of this one is really special.DDU-DU DDU-DU - BLACKPINKOne of their most iconic songs. It also hit a billion views on YouTube.KILL THIS LOVE - BLACKPINKTheir other very iconic song.Touch My Body - SISTARLike Love Shot, just watch the music video. 😂Me Gustas Tu - GFriendTheir most popular song and personally, it makes me really happy whenever I listen to it.BBoom BBoom - MOMOLANDThis song was played all around the world, it seemed like I heard it everywhere when this was newly released.Red Flavor - RED VELVETThis was already a popular and iconic song from the first day it was released.TT - TWICETheir most popular song. Very cute!Others:PSY’s songs like Daddy, Gangnam Style, New FaceAll of his songs are just iconic and popular to be honest.EYES, NOSE, LIPS - TaeyangThis is like the When I was Your Man of K-pop, the vocals and the music video :OMOVE - TaeminA very sexy song. The vocals and dance, everything about it is hot.Gashina - SunmiI could see people dancing this or making covers of this from left to right. Really popular and iconic.Gotta Go - CHUNG HAJust very iconic and this was just the perfect concept.I’ll add more, with descriptions!