KPOP IDOLS NEW GENERATION (4th generation & more) that comes from POOR family background

One thing that I realize the gap between older generation and newer generation of KPOP idols isn't about the style of music or the amount of members per group, it is most likely about their family background even before debuted. Do you think the same like me?

If in first generation Kpop idols, the legendary figure like BoA, H.O.T, Shinwa, etc comes from not so rich background. Some of them even comes from a broken family. Lets take an idol for example: BoA, She was born and raised in Gyeonggi-do, shared that she used to be poor and only practice dancing in basement, since SM wan't as big as today. Back then, at the early of idols, when Kpop adapted the culture from Japan (Jpop), being an idol isn't really that promising. It feels like a shady business where the future isn't certain at all. Yet after that it is proven wrong and many first generation idols become rich due to their work as idol and small company become big due to investment from overseas or other big corporation funding, now people begin to dream to be a Kpop idols. When their favorite idol groups were on TV, they would record it on their video cameras. To book concert tickets, they would line up the day before at a particular bank that sold them exclusively. Also, music could only be listened to on an album.

So on the day of the release of an album, there would be long lines at the record store filled with fans trying to get their hands on the latest album. This make public realize how powerful to be an idol and how big the opportunity in entertainment business.

In second generation, the like of Girls generation, super junior, TVXQ, Bigbang, Kara, Wondergirls, etc also has member who comes from poor family background. Yoona's parents had a divorce when she was young, and she was left in the care of her father. Her mother left their family when she was young and went to the US after her father get bankruptcy and left in a huge debt that YoonA able to paid later due to her own success. I can tell a lot of poor idols from second generation, the like of Taeyang, Gdragon, Jaejoong, Lee teuk, Hara, IU and many more comes from poor background family.

Then we're moving on to third generation of idols, this era begin the richest to come as a member of group. Well, we have a bit of rich family in second generation like Mir mblaq, Choi siwon and Sooyoung, but many people from rich family tried to become an idol. It's like being an idol is everyone dream and not some kind of lowly job like it used to be. Many new idols appears in this generation, who comes from silver or goold spoon family. We get to know a few like EXO & NCT members: Tao, Chris, Chenle, Suho, etc and Twice member: Sana, Mina, Tzuyu. Yet, some idols especially from smaller agency, eg: RBQ often has member with a humble background (mamammoo) even wheein is actually comes from a broken family where her father has a huge debt and she has tried to cut any relationship with her biological father due to his bad behavior of gambling, borrowing money and fraud. The father has left her since she is a child, she is raised by her grandmother. It's just a small case tho. From this point on, owning a psychical copy of an album was equated with collecting merch and showing support for artists rather than for the purpose of listening to their music. Since entertainment companies figured out a way to check fandom sizes during the second generation, they started various promotions to increase the hype. They started selling merch such as photo cards, postcards and held fan signing events during this time.

This is why the album sales per fan grew significantly compared to previous times.

The number of rich idols keeps increasing even to the point where the average idol comes from upper-middle families. So in this occasion, let discuss a few of Kpop idols for newer generation especially after the third generation who comes from a poor family background.

Well, the easiest way is by looking into smaller agency. Kpop group from smaller agency usually doesn't even survive after 1-2 years of unsuccessful promotion. After their disbandment of even on when they're still active as idols, some of them even need to take part time job for a living.

One of the example is 100%. 100% originally debuted with 7 members on September 21, 2012 under TOP Media. The group was formed by member of boy group Shinhwa, Andy Lee, and they started their career with the album We, 100% and the title track "Bad Boy".

Year after year through their careers, they began to lose members one by one. Sanghoon decided to leave in 2014, which was followed by Changbum in 2016, and Minwoo tragically died of a heart attack in 2018. The four remaining members, Rockhyun, Jonghwan, Chanyong, and Hyukjin decided not to renew their contract which ended on October 9 this year. , and they officially disbanded.

The other groups such as berrygood, ENOi and hot shot also has members that comes from a humble background.