Many K-pop idols worked various jobs before their debut. Not all stars come from wealthy families. The training process costs a lot of money. Some idols continue working even after debut to pay their bills.
Some of these jobs have caused negative reactions from fans. Let’s look at trainees whose other careers stirred up controversy.
- Honey Popcorn
The three-member girl group Honey Popcorn made their debut in March 2018. All members had backgrounds as J-Pop idols before. Their debut caused a stir because they also worked as adult film actresses. Today, the group remains on hiatus. The members have moved on to different career paths since then.
- The Kindom’s Hwon
In June 2023, a verified account made serious claims against The KingDom’s Hwon. They accused him of working at a host bar. The account later shared screenshots of messages. These showed Hwon allegedly asking for the posts to be removed. He also promised to meet with the accuser. GF Entertainment quickly stated they would take legal action. So far, no new information has been shared about this case.
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- Nature’s Haru
Fans learned about Nature’s quiet breakup in an unexpected way. Videos showed member Haru working at a host bar. This happened before any official announcement about the group ending. The clips of Haru at her new workplace spread quickly online. About three months later, Haru finally told fans she had left that job.
- SM Rookie Shohei
During his time as an SM Rookie, Shohei reportedly worked at McDonald’s. Shohei is preparing to join SM Entertainment’s new trot group. This job might seem normal to most people. Yet, Shohei faced harsh comments about his age. At 26, fans called him “too old” for a trainee. People also made fun of his fast-food job. This led many other fans to stand up for him.
- BaBa’s Seungha
Former BaBa member Seungha stayed with the group for only a short time. After leaving, she entered the adult film industry. She appeared in more than 40 videos in less than three months. Her career choices raised eyebrows among K-pop fans. She has since retired from working in adult entertainment.
