Daisy, a former member of MOMOLAND, recently discussed the financial reality of being a K-Pop idol.
In response to a viewer’s inquiry about the average salary of idols, the former idol created a TikTok video using numbers based on her own employment history. Daisy clarified that it varies depending on the individual. She said, “Some people make a fortune, while others are deeply in debt.
But based on her own experience, the money wasn’t all that good. Daisy disclosed that she only received one payment in her two years as an idol since the majority of her earnings were used to settle her debt as a trainee. For those who are not familiar, “trainee debt” is the amount of money that a K-Pop agency invests in a particular candidate while they are receiving training from them. It covers various costs, such as lodging, food, and music and dance class fees.
Over the course of the two years, I received one payment.It was brought on by the massive debt I owed.The debt was approximately $105,000.
Daisy revealed that she had a debt of $150,000 while still a trainee, which she eventually paid off through her idol activities. Following this, Daisy only received one paycheck. That sum, too, was nothing extraordinary. The former idol put it into perspective by stating that in the same two years that she was promoting herself as an idol, she made 1.3 times more money at her part-time translation job.
I was earning eleven dollars per hour for my part-time translation work. I was an idol there for two years, therefore it’s quite convenient that I worked there for two years.My income from translating was 1.3 times higher than it was as an idol.
Daisy revealed that she used her one-time check to prepare for her college expenses, same like some people work at fast food businesses to help pay for tuition, in an effort to further assist her audience in appreciating her compensation as an idol. She concluded her video with some sober counsel, even though she admitted that not everyone is paid equally and that some K-Pop celebrities are in fact wealthy: “Think twice before becoming an idol, because you honestly might be better off flipping burgers at Wendy’s.”
