Republic of korea – Talk Vietnam

An attempted solo career foundered, she was left in debt, battling depression and contemplating suicide. But six years after her dismissal, she has been given a second chance on a groundbreaking new television show for failed and former idols -- and is speaking out against a structure that consumes young hopefuls with only a tiny minority surviving to stardom. "The K-pop industry has a factory-like mass-production system," she told AFP. K-pop is the latest and biggest instance of the so-called Korean Wave, as the South's popular culture gains overseas recognition -- epitomised by the global success of boyband BTS, who topped the US Billboard singles chart earlier this year. The phenomenon earns billions of dollars for the world's 12th largest economy and scores of groups are launched each year to try to capture a slice of the pie. Unlike many groups elsewhere, K-pop bands are not normally formed by the members themselves who then try to secure a record deal, but are instead … [Read more...] about Second chance: faded K-pop star competes for comeback