The documentary “K-pop Idols” looks at how the K-pop industry embraces diversity

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An Apple TV+ documentary series, “K-pop Idols,” premiering Friday, offers an intimate look at how the K-pop industry embraces diversity while facing challenges in a field that demands perfection.

The six-part series features Korean American star Jessi and emerging K-pop acts such as Cravity and Blackswan, documenting the highs and lows of their careers.

K-pop is known for its blend of vocals with precise choreography.

Blackswan members Fatou and Nvee told The Associated Press that they train up to 10 hours a day, including choreography and vocal sessions, ahead of the “comeback” season, which refers to a string of events to promote their latest songs.

The grueling practice starts early.

Once contracted, K-pop trainees enter a system that includes classes in manners, language, dance and choreography. As of 2022, there were 752 K-pop trainees under entertainment labels, according to a report by the Korea Creative Content Agency.

Despite the recent pushback against the perennial “dark K-pop” narrative, the documentary shows that some problems in the industry persist.

Former Blackswan member Youngheun said the members had a curfew and were not allowed to drink or date. “We even had to report when we were getting our nails done and going to the store in front of our house,” she shared in the documentary.

Rigid control extends to diet.

Blackswan member Gabi is seen eating a meal of egg, chicken breast and what looks like sweet potato sticks during her internship. “I’m on a diet because Mr. Yoon (label head) told me I need to lose weight,” Gabi said.

The pressure also applies to boy bands.

Cravity member Wonjin said he was given two weeks to lose weight in order to join the label. “I would eat like an egg a day (…) I lost about 7 kg,” he said in the documentary.

Bradley Cramp, one of the documentary’s executive producers, noted that such restrictions exist in other competitive industries.

“Honestly, I don’t know an idol or an elite athlete or an entertainer who doesn’t deal with the issue of diet, self-image and mental health to one degree or another,” he told The Associated Press.

The documentary also touches on K-pop’s new challenge: embracing diversity.

In the wake of BTS’s international success, K-pop labels have actively recruited foreign talent, which sometimes brings unfamiliar challenges.

In the documentary, Yoon Deung Ryong, the founder of Blackswan’s record label DR Music, struggles to resolve internal conflicts between the members, which later escalated into online clashes between fans.

“If the company says ‘don’t fight,’ they won’t fight,” he said, referring to traditional K-pop groups. He added that he could not control a “multinational group” in the same way because of language and cultural differences. There are currently no Korean members in Blackswan after the member changes.

With the global expansion of K-pop, fundamental questions remain about the essence of K-pop.

“In a K-pop group, if there are no Korean members, I feel like it’s just a K-pop cover group, right?” Blackswan’s former Korean member Youngheun said in the documentary.

However, Cravity’s Hyeongjun disagrees. “If foreigners come to Korea and sing in other languages, I’m not sure if I can call it K-pop, but since they (Blackswan members) are active in Korea and use Korean, it’s K-pop.”

Cramp said social media has affected the K-pop ecosystem in various ways, including creating a “symbiotic relationship” between K-pop stars and fans and forcing stars to live their lives “under a microscope.”

“There is a desire to be real. But on the other hand, you obviously have to keep certain things out of the public spotlight,” he told the AP. “You want to be famous, but at the same time you still want your privacy and you want to be able to go out to dinner with your friends and have fun and not be filmed doing it.”

“K-Pop Idols” is now available on Apple TV+.