How do you become a K-pop star?

In K-pop, it's a long way to get to the top. See some new bands hoping to follow in the footsteps of BTS and Blackpink.

Instructions

Do the preparation task first. Then watch the video and do the exercises. Remember you can read the transcript at any time.

Transcript

Presenter: This is Newkidd. They want to be the next big K-pop band. They've all left home to try and make it.

Kang Seung-chan: Sometimes I really miss my family.

Presenter: But there's a lot to be gained. BTS and Blackpink have smashed records and made history. Their music videos have been watched millions of times online.

Fan: Trying to get a concert ticket is nearly impossible in Korea.

Kids: K-pop!

Presenter: There are even K-pop schools, where kids can train to be just like them.

Kid: K-pop makes my heart burst with joy!

Presenter: So, what does it take to be a K-pop star? This is Gangnam, in the capital city of Seoul. Some of the biggest K-pop labels are here and it's where I'm meeting new K-pop band Newkidd as they rehearse.

Newkidd: Annyeong haseyo Newkidd imnida. We are Newkidd!

Presenter: Newkidd have just debuted with their first album. That means they're one step closer to making it. But it's not easy to get to this stage. K-pop stars first need to be signed as a trainee by a big record label. It's only then that they're in the running to be picked as a solo artist or as part of a band. They're all pretty young. The maknae, or baby of the group, is just 15 years old.

Kang Seung-chan: Hi, guys. My name is Kang Seung-chan and I'm 15 years old. Yeah, right, I'm the youngest member of the team. Please call me maknae.

Presenter: They're so determined to make it, they've left their homes and families behind to follow their dreams.

Kang Seung-chan: Sometimes I really miss my family. I feel like I have to make my dream come true, to make them proud.

Newkidd member: We're always on a strict diet and it's mostly salads, chicken and fruits. We do weightlifting, skipping and press-ups to stay in shape.

Newkidd member: Rehearsing and living with my bandmates, I feel like I've found not just friends but they're like family too. I'm really happy whenever I'm with them.

Presenter: There can be big rewards, though. Blackpink's single 'Kill This Love' was viewed over 56 million times on YouTube within 24 hours. And look at BTS: they've made history by being the first Korean act to have a number-one album in the UK chart. One study has even gone as far as saying that they are the reason one in 13 tourists visit South Korea. And they've even shared their message of self-love with the world at the United Nations.

RM: I am who I am, with all of my faults and my mistakes.

Presenter: Lots of kids want to grow up to be just like them. This is a K-pop training school. Most hopefuls start out by going to singing and dance classes.

Kid: I want to be a K-pop star because I want to be on the stage singing and dancing in front of crowds of people. K-pop makes my heart burst with joy!

Kid: Remembering the dance routines is tough at first but I practise at home too and I've got better.

Presenter: That dance class is so tough! They're working so, so hard but there are people in other K-pop schools working just as hard, who only face a very small chance of actually making it. At this school alone, I'm told that there are about a thousand students who want to be K-pop stars, but only around 40 to 50 will actually make it.

Feel: Not everyone is going to be a K-pop star by just doing all the classes. Some will make it and some will not. It depends on how hard they work and how much effort they put in.

Presenter: One famous face to come out of the school is iKon's Dunghyuk Kim. He's now signed with one of the biggest K-pop labels.

Dunghyuk Kim: Some of the guys are, like, training for, like, ten years and some guys for, like, six years. Every day, every night, every morning we sing, dance, we care about our bodies. So that is really hard.

Presenter: iKon haven't charted here in the UK yet, but they're pretty big in South Korea.

Presenter: Were there ever moments in … when you were training and even now where you've doubted yourself and thought, 'You know what, maybe I can't do this?'

Dunghyuk Kim: Totally, yeah. We think that a lot.

iKon member: The most difficult thing for me wasn't the physical training. It was the mental side of it and thinking, 'Will I ever make it?' Not knowing that is the most difficult part.

iKon member: We have to, like, like, train hard before we get to be somebody, you know what I mean? Like, but after that, every moment when we, like, perform on the stage or like, like, practise together, like those moments are like blessings, you know what I mean?