The number of male trainees applying to entertainment companies is decreasing over time.
Recently, a development director at a major K-pop entertainment company revealed: “Even though we organize public auditions, the number of male candidates is still very low. There’s only 1 male candidate for every 9 females. Teenage girls are inspired by the fame of groups like NewJeans and IVE, but the number of male applicants has decreased significantly. Currently, there are many platforms that allow individuals to showcase their talents. Convincing them to undergo long and arduous training to become idols has become more challenging.”
Furthermore, Korean netizens have listed several other reasons why handsome young men no longer want to become idols:
- If they want to become famous for appearing on TV, they would participate in dating shows.
- If they want to pursue a singing career, they often dislike the music genre of male K-pop idols.
- If they want to earn money and fame, they don’t need to sing and dance; they can just make YouTube videos.
- If they want to earn a lot of money while maintaining their privacy and dating freedom, they can simply create short videos on TikTok.
All of these approaches provide quick opportunities for fame, especially for those with standout appearances. They don’t need to undergo rigorous training and endure the harsh life of an idol, yet they can still become famous and earn money thanks to their own image.
