Former DRIPPIN Member Alex Details The Struggles K-Pop Idols Face To Balance School And Work

In a new interview with former DRIPPIN member Alex, a closer look at the lives of K-Pop idols behind the scenes was given.

At one point, he detailed just how hard it is for singers to balance school and work. Alex was only 15 years old when he was introduced as a member of DRIPPIN and even younger when he began his trainee life at Woollim Entertainment. Though getting an education is the priority of most young people, he could not do the same.

Since joining the band, I haven’t been able to go to school. I went to a German school in South Korea and there was an attendance requirement that I couldn’t fulfill.

— Alex

He originally attended a local German school until he realized he could no longer keep up with their schedule on top of his schedule.

I tried taking private lessons, others tried online school. In South Korea, online classes are very common anyway. But even that didn’t fit into our everyday lives. I was out of school for a total of two and a half years.

— Alex

Though it may sound odd to people his age, he found that he greatly missed going to school.

It sounds a bit strange, but I missed school. Learning something new and solve tasks is something you miss when you no longer have it. And of course I missed my friends, too.

— Alex

Eventually, he quit the idol life in order to return to school and live a normal life.

I’m not allowed to talk about the exact background. But what I can say is: I was worried that I wasn’t developing positively according to my expectations. It took me a long time to decide to leave because I had so much fun on stage and with the fans. But it was the right decision. I want to finish school.

— Alex

The German-Korean idol was born in Mainz, Germany, and moved to South Korea when he was just four years old.