Sojin's death brings back discussion on the plight of trainees

Article: Kids with numberless lottery tickets, what are 'trainees'

Source: Ilgan Sports via Naver

Article highlights the plight of trainees following the death of Sojin and points out that competition hasn't gotten so tough that there are even tiers within the trainee system that fosters more intense competition/survival.

One rep said, "There's a separate group called the 'debut group' that exists between trainees and an actual debut. Trainees who are on the verge of debut are put into that group. Not only is becoming a trainee difficult but the survival to get into that specific group is just as hard. More often than not, trainees who even make it to that group are often demoted back down to regular trainees."

The trainees viewers often see on survival TV shows are only a minority, and many more are training in shabby environments with no hopes for a future. The rep expressed concern for such environments, saying, "There are barely any trainees who actually receive an income from their company and many are not provided lesson expenses, academy training, or living and eating arrangements. It's worse for trainees living away from home since they have to work part time jobs to afford the lifestyle."

Many trainees also start as young as elementary school, making their investment all that more dangerous since they're giving up years of education for a slim chance at achieving their dreams. Industry reps are worried over their isolation from society at such a young age as they battle for an unclear future. "Sojin's unfortunate death will further highlight the anxiety and sense of loss felt by trainees and their parents. There needs to be an institutional measure to make sure that this does not become a repeat cycle."

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1. [+56, -3] Making it in the entertainment industry is 90% based off of landing a good sponsor or pure luck. It's because the market is so saturated that there is no viable career opportunity for the actual talented people who dream of becoming singers.

2. [+37, -3] Because TV only focuses on the glamor of the celebrity lifestyle... reality is, many live in the gutters.

3. [+41, -9] Talented kids die while bubbles like Suzy rise... being an idol is all about luck and being under the right people.

4. [+29, -1] It's upsetting to see talented and skilled children waste their youth to become a commercialized idol product that only has a shelf life of 5 years at most. Our society might be to blame for not instilling real dreams in them but forcing them to chase after a mirage.

5. [+30, -3] Even debuting is pointless since only a handful of groups succeed out of those that actually made it to debut

6. [+11, -0] Everyone's a trainee when they're born in our society. You can graduate with the same specs as anyone else but one will land a huge corporate job while the other is unemployed because success isn't only about effort but a combination of innate talent + effort + luck. And I personally refuse to mourn after someone who commit suicide...

7. [+9, -1] At the very least, we need a law in place that prohibits anyone under high school age to becoming trainees. Too many kids think that what you see on TV is what you get...

8. [+5, -0] I feel like Sojin panicked, considering she got on TV under a well known name like DSP and had more hope than other trainees of doing well and still didn't make it.... I hope she becomes a top star in her next life.

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