[The world of vanity creators]
'Golden Goose' who climbed the Billboard charts in the shortest time
Conflicts due to lack of communication are also a poison in K-pop
Healthy communication idols instead of dancing and singing machines

The success of 'FIFTY FIFTY', which topped the Billboard charts faster than any other group in history and held the top 100 for over 20 weeks, eloquently demonstrates that K-pop can also be a 'golden goose'. However, the subsequent power struggle between the agency and the idols is more than regrettable, it's frankly alarming.

There was a strong backlash against FIFTY FIFTY, who filed a lawsuit against their agency just six months after their debut, citing issues with settlement, violation of health management, and lack of support, even going so far as to sell their watches and borrow money from their 90-year-old mother. Some even went so far as to say that they would never recover from the 'betrayal' of the Korean people, a sentiment they deeply despise. The fear is that the 'golden goose' might become a victim of the 'goose seppuku incident', where it shortens its own life.

From my perspective, having spent seven years as an idol trainee and singer, and then starting my own agency, I can understand both sides. Looking back on my time as an artist, I rarely saw idols who were grateful to their companies and happily supported them. They were all full of complaints. It was commonplace to hear them bashing the company whenever they got together.

I've seen people say, 'If I do well, it's because of me, if I do poorly, it's because of the company', and I thought to myself, 'I'll never get into the entertainment business'. This isn't meant to be a criticism of everyone, but it's not unusual, it's common to have 'dissatisfaction'. And when you think about it, is this only the entertainment industry? I don't think so. Go on 'Blind'. Can you find an employee who feels a sense of responsibility and wants to build the company together?

Moreover, from the perspective of the FIFTY FIFTY members, who achieved overnight success at a young age, it's not surprising that they might have more complaints than gratitude towards the company. Even when I was part of an agency, I resented the CEO when the group didn't do well.

However, as time went on and I became a CEO, I came to understand and support the company. Companies are not charities. They are places that need to make a profit to survive, and it's impossible to meet everyone's needs.

During my time as an artist, I wasn't able to release many albums, but when the 'T-ara bullying incident' happened, the company was in dire straits and the employees didn't get paid for several months. When I was with the agency, I just thought, 'Why aren't they pushing our team?', but when I became CEO, I realized that pushing our team at that time would have been unimaginable, given that the company's survival was at stake.

Working in the MCN industry, which represents the creators' agencies, I continued to see the same problem. Most creators entered the company with good intentions, but became dissatisfied and left for other MCNs. Once again, I realized how difficult it is to nurture people.

In short, artists find it difficult to understand the CEO's and company's perspectives, which makes them prone to self-centered interpretations, leading to 'dissatisfaction' with both the company's support and its lack thereof. The company, however, bears all the 'responsibility' and must navigate these situations effectively to move forward. It's disappointing to see the public dismayed by the lack of mature children who understand their parents' sacrifices, but such children are simply the fantasy of all parents.

However, in this FIFTY FIFTY controversy, there's another aspect that needs to be addressed. There are suspicions of 'gaslighting' by an 'outside force' throughout the process, influencing the members' independent thoughts and choices. This is known as 'tampering'.

'Tempering' is a term often used in the sports industry, essentially meaning 'stealing players (artists)'. FIFTY FIFTY's agency, ATTRAKT, had outsourced production to an external company, The Givers. The allegation is that The Givers approached FIFTY FIFTY and persuaded them to break their contract. The Givers denies the allegations, so the two parties will settle their dispute in court.

However, it is not at all desirable for the development of K-pop to allow 'external forces' to intervene between the agency and the artists. I have also experienced external forces twice during my own business ventures.

One experience was where I was swayed by an external force, and the other was where an external force approached our business partner and took him away. When I was swayed, I was momentarily tempted by the external force's promise of 'expanding the business', but fortunately, my original partner held on tight and saved the relationship. We preserved the relationship, but in the process, we lost a company and money, and made a big sacrifice.

After that experience, I learned a lesson and built a strong relationship with my existing partner, making all decisions and communication solely between the two of us, without any other opinions. With another partner I met while starting a new business, the external force approached him, and I, having experienced it firsthand, tried to understand and communicate the situation. However, the external force blocked any communication, leaving us with nothing but a lost relationship. From those two experiences with external forces, I've learned that anyone can experience such things in life.

This might seem like a random example, but I had the same thought while watching SBS Plus's popular variety show, 'Single's Inferno Season 16'. Gwang-soo and Ok-soon decided to choose each other, but then Gwang-soo changed his mind after hearing from outsiders, 'Be careful', 'It seems like Ok-soon has feelings for another contestant'. After a fact check, it turned out that Ok-soon had always said it was Gwang-soo, and it was all a misunderstanding. Gwang-soo confronts the other contestants who said those things, but it's already too late.

Ok-soon's heart is gone, and Gwang-soo becomes a 'casual person' and a fool in an instant. He is responsible for his choice, no matter what anyone says, but think about it. If you have a boyfriend you're dating well, and several people around you tell you to be careful, not to trust him too much, etc., would you not be swayed?

It's not easy to live your life without being swayed by external forces and 'staying centered'. Even adults are susceptible to being influenced by various things and succumb to temptation. It takes a lot of experience, trials, and tribulations to develop the skill of not being swayed by others' words or external forces, staying centered, and being accountable for your promises, but the FIFTY FIFTY members, who have just entered society, are unlikely to have that skill. Sadly, their guardians failed them in that moment. It's truly heartbreaking.

How can we solve this problem? We could strengthen laws to prevent tampering, and we could find solutions in various ways, but I believe that the solution lies in the relationship between the artists and the agencies, the ones who make the choices. Therefore, I would like to make a suggestion to the entertainment industry based on this incident. Let's make communication skills and character education mandatory for both artists and agencies. Character and communication skills are essential for a solid foundation and longevity. Instead of just raising artists who can dance and sing well, let's nurture them into people with the capacity to handle large positions, creating advanced idols. Only then can the goose continue to lay golden eggs.

There are too many cases where idols finish their contracts and enter the world without any knowledge. I felt terrified seeing senior artists who had only learned to dance and sing, and I studied frantically. To lead the K-POP culture, agencies shouldn't treat their entertainers as disposable items after seven years of dancing and singing, but should nurture them into responsible, well-rounded people, and as public figures, into individuals who can have a positive influence. It's time to raise them into human beings who can make a positive impact. Despite the heavy losses, let's use this case as a textbook to educate future K-POP talents.

Humans grow through mistakes and taking responsibility for them. FIFTY FIFTY, at a young age, has learned a hard lesson through an experience that can happen to anyone.

※ The author of this article is myself, and it has been taken from the Women's Economy newspaper article.