Former 3rd Gen K-Pop Idol Opens Up About The Difficulties His Group Faced Behind The Scenes

Joel Jay Lane and Aaron Kwak returned with a new episode of their podcast, Korean Cowboys, and this time they opened up about the income distribution and general financial situation of K-Pop idols as two former 3rd-gen idol group members.

Joel Jay Lane (left) and Aaron Kwak (right) | @koreancowboyspodcast/Instagram

Joel Jay Lane (also known as Jay) was formerly in the male idol group BTL, and Aaron Kwak (also known as Aron) was formerly in the male idol group NU’EST.

BTL NU’EST

Coming from different companies, Joel from the smaller Kiroy Company and Aaron from the larger Pledis Entertainment, the two idols discussed the financial hardships they faced after their debut.

BTL debuted in 2015 and disbanded a year later, and Joel opened up about the difficulties the group faced behind the scenes.

Joel Jay Lane | @joeljaylane/Instagram

Joel began by being honest about his financial situation as an idol, stating he was “broke” and not just because of the money he owed the company.

As a trainee, he was responsible for paying for his own living expenses because he lived outside of the dorms.

Things changed after he debuted. He then moved into the dorm, and the company shouldered the cost of his living accommodations, and he recalled receiving money for two meals a day, $5-7 USD each.

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Because of the small amount of money he was allotted for meals, Joel recalled frequently eating pre-packaged meals and rice burgers.

Even if he wanted to make additional money, he shared that his company forbade the members from getting part-time jobs.

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While the financial situation for some idols improve after their debut, when they’re able to begin earning money, BTL’s situation seemed to worsen.

Joel revealed that after the group’s debut, the company fell into financial hardship and even revoked the food stipend they had been giving the members.

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With the financial burden of their living expenses now falling onto the members, Joel remembers approaching the company at a loss due to their financial struggles and their ban on the members getting part-time jobs.

The company’s solution was for Joel to ask his parents for money, which was a difficult request.

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At the “whim of [his] parents,” matters became even worse when the company evicted the members from the dorms, telling them they were on their own for arranging and paying for their living arrangements.

The company said they would reconvene in a few months, hoping to move the members back into the dorms after taking time to figure out their financial situation.

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The situation was especially tough for the members who didn’t have homes in Seoul. In response to the eviction, Joel and another BTL member found a bunk bed study room to share.

Once 5 or 6 months had passed, the group’s company went under, and the members were never reimbursed for their out-of-pocket living expenses. The company went under, and with it, the group disbanded.

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Joel now feels that his life is “very comfortable compared to what it used to be,” and the years of hardships lead him to become more “fiscally responsible.”

He now views it with a positive mindset, reflecting that it allowed him to “grow as a person.”

Check out more of the podcast, including Joel and Aaron’s breakdown of idol contracts, in the video below!