Working in the KPOP industry may seem all glitz and glamor, but it’s actually one of the toughest and most competitive industries, considering South Korea’s lack of work-life balance. It’s one.
Sunny Lee, an artist and repertoire (A&R) representative in the KPOP industry, has seen this firsthand. Her friends in the industry quit their jobs within four years due to burnout.
“It’s working nonstop,” Lee says. “We work overtime and answer calls outside of business hours.”
According to World Metrology Organization records, South Korea has the second-longest working hours among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, averaging 1,978 hours a year.
In South Korea, the proportion of employees working extremely long hours in paid work is much higher than the OECD average of 10% of employees working more than 50 hours a week.
However, according to SHRM, in 2023, the working week will increase from 52 to 69 hours to “improve work-life balance” by giving companies more flexibility in setting overtime hours. A proposal has been made. This proposal was later rejected.
So how did Lee end up working in one of the most competitive industries in a country with the worst work-life balance?
Lee was initially interested in studying at Parsons School of Design. However, since she had never been to America before, she decided to pursue her bachelor’s degree in England instead. Source: Sunny Lee
How KPOP helped third culture kids connect with their roots
Born in South Korea, Lee’s parents moved the family to the UK for further studies for the first five years of her life, and then to Switzerland for work, where she spent her pre-college years. .
Having lived abroad for so long, Lee became a third-culture child. She wasn’t familiar with Korean culture, but KPOP helped her.
“I was interested in KPOP since I was in middle school because I was trying to connect with my roots, which were miles away. I was drawn to that whole culture,” Lee says.
It’s not just about listening to songs, KPOP was also part of Lee’s undergraduate thesis.
Having completed a BA (Hons) in Illustration and Visual Media from the London College of Communication at the University of the Arts London (UAL), Lee has always been drawn to art.
“When we started, I wanted to do something in graphic design or something closer to fashion or art history,” she says. “But through the program, I gradually fell in love with illustration and graphic design. When I talked to my teacher, she told me that illustration was a better fit for me, so I decided to give it a try.”
During her time at UAL, Lee experienced quite a bit of hardship. It was mainly artist’s block.
This block, which is also encountered by writers and other creators, is a creative block or mental barrier that prevents artists from generating new ideas and producing work.
“The biggest challenge was keeping the inspiration going for three years,” says Lee. “We’ve had to continually pump out ideas and inspiration for all our projects and just draw them. Then there comes a time when you kind of get into a bind and you run out of ideas.”
Through hard work and perseverance, Lee was able to finish his second year at UAL even though he was running out of ideas. Still, a more difficult task awaited her: choosing a topic for her final year thesis.
This is a KPOP-inspired album cover design she created for her final year thesis. Source: Sunny Lee
KPOP related papers and the strengths that changed her life
In 2010, KPOP evolved and began releasing albums with intricate designs on the album packaging. SM Entertainment’s KPOP group Girls’ Generation has introduced photocards, posters, and postcards in their packaging.
This evolution in album packaging intrigued Lee.
“Everyone was so fascinated by the changes,” she says. “And my interest grew even more, especially in how the industry works behind the scenes.”
Therefore, Mr. Lee’s paper was about the development of the KPOP industry in promoting the group’s visual design.
As a result, Lee decided that she wanted to work in the industry after graduation.
Her first job was not at a KPOP company, but working with artists on things like album design. There she gained the experience she needed to further expand her career. This time, I moved between multiple KPOP companies.
An insider’s perspective on what it’s like to work at KPOP
Lee is currently an A&R associate at ModHaus, the company that includes the 24-member idol group TripleS and five LOONA members.
Her job includes planning artists’ album concepts, coming up with content ideas, connecting with songwriters, finding the best music for artists, and even deciding on hairstyles.
“As I became more involved in the KPOP industry, I realized that marketing requires 24/7 attention to stay on top of artist trends and ensure everything runs smoothly,” said Lee. says. “You don’t want to make a mistake or have something go wrong along the way.”
Staying focused and working collaboratively was critical to making the artist’s journey go smoothly.
“Getting along with the people you work with creates a positive image, especially in large groups,” says Lee.
Working in KPOP means paying attention to what’s going on around you. A lot of monitoring is required, including monitoring trends in other groups and the KPOP world.
All of this helps keep the idea of an idol group unique.
But how do you keep it going when the industry is so competitive and cutthroat?
In 2023, a total of 70 KPOP groups have established themselves in the industry. More than 400 of them have been seen around the world in the past decade. Naturally, not everyone can succeed. Many groups last less than a year.
Those numbers also play a big role. Behind their backs, people like Lee are working tirelessly to help them reach the heights of giants like BigBang, Wonder Girls, BTS and Blackpink.
Mr. Lee believes that passion is the answer to success.
“You have to be passionate about it, otherwise you won’t want to continue working at a KPOP company,” she says. “I can attest to that because I’ve seen it happen so many times.”
“I end up staying up late, searching for ideas, and losing my passion.”
While touring Brazil with the KPOP group, Lee had the opportunity to travel around the country, visiting heritage sites and eating local specialties. Source: Sunny Lee
Working in the KPOP industry means you always want to do everything you can to help your idols succeed.
“You want to make sure you put in 120 percent effort,” Lee says. “If they succeed, you succeed.”
Still, despite the difficult times, Lee has made many memories throughout his career.
As part of her previous job, she went on a two-month global trip to countries she had never been to before, including the United States, Brazil, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
“It was challenging but fun because it makes you feel good when you see artists performing on stage and fans having fun,” she says. “It’s especially touching when the fans recognize the staff who work there.”
The most difficult part of Lee’s illustration and visual media degree was staying inspired. Source: Sunny Lee
Advice for those considering entering the KPOP industry
“Korean is essential because everyone in the company speaks Korean and not everyone speaks English,” advises Lee. “Please study Korean conversation, especially the alphabet, before coming to Korea, because not everyone here can speak English.”
There are a variety of Korean courses you can start checking out here.
Another thing Lee emphasizes is his passion for his work.
“You need to take your job seriously and not play around, especially being very detailed. Always remember that you are working for your idol and don’t put yourself first.” she says.
