Former K-Pop Trainee Opens Up About the Cost of Stardom: ‘I Could Have Died’

Despite the glitz and glamour of the K-Pop industry, there exists a hidden dark side that remains unnoticed by many.

Beneath the surface, far from the captivating shows and catchy rhythms, exists a somber truth that ex-idols and trainees are increasingly bringing to attention.

Judy Kim, a former participant of the survival series “My Teenage Girl,”recently used social media to disclose the troubling reasons for her departure from the entertainment industry, causing surprise and concern among fans and onlookers.

(my teenage girls) i’m not cool, freshman senior talented unit ─ hong hyeju w/ kim subin song minchae oh yoojin jung siwoo kim dasom kim hari lee yumin pic.twitter.com/FlBekGwDot

— Classy Station 🎧 (@classystation) July 27, 2023

During the broadcast of “My Teenage Girl,”a competition to create a seven-member group, Kim, also known as Dasom Kim, won over the hearts of viewers.

KIM DASOM- Kim Dasom is former contestant of survival show My Teenage Girl. She is born in 2003 and she is half Korean and American pic.twitter.com/65itZlT8fr

— TRIPLES PAGE (@triples_fan) July 9, 2022

Nevertheless, even with her talent and dedication, she was unable to secure a spot in the final lineup.

After the competition, she moved to another company in order to chase her dreams, but ultimately decided to completely leave the K-Pop industry.

On June 7, Kim shared a series of videos where she revealed the harsh truths of her tumultuous journey within the industry, shedding light on the grim realities she encountered behind the scenes.

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At the core of her disclosures was the unyielding stress and exhausting expectations placed on trainees, resulting in significant mental and physical hardships.

Despite the glitz and glamour of the K-Pop world, Kim revealed that she had been battling with anxiety and depression during her two years of training, a hidden challenge that often goes unnoticed.

“The stress that you go through is insanely different than anything I’ve ever experienced. Like, the amount of anxiety, depression, like solitude that I had to go through at that time was horrible.”

Kim’s accounts of the extreme dietary measures she was subjected to in order to meet the unattainable beauty standards imposed by companies were perhaps the most alarming aspect.

The revealed measures resulted in severe health problems for her, such as a throat tumor, a head injury, and torn ligaments in her legs.

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The accumulation of these physical injuries ultimately led Kim to reevaluate her values and depart from the industry that had taken such a significant toll on her health.

“I was extremely sick throughout my entirety in Korea because I was putting myself through extreme diets that no one should ever go through.

I had like a tumor in the back of my throat, I cracked my head open.

I think the injury that made me quit this industry altogether was I tore six different ligaments, which caused me to not be able to walk properly without a limp for almost six months.”

Despite having left the industry, Kim still struggles with the physical consequences of her time there. Her persistent health problems serve as a constant reminder of the sacrifices she made in order to chase her aspirations.