Kpop

The Kop industry is a massive $5 Billion dollar industry. However, where does all that money go? How much money do Kpop Idols make from their music? How much goes to the K-pop Entertainment companies and how much goes to each member? Many decide to audition for Kpop Entertainment companies in hopes of signing a contract. Most think that will become rich and famous when in reality a vast majority of Kpop artists get trapped into an unfavorable record deal. This article will do a deep dive into the sometimes shady world of the Kpop industry to see why some of your favorite Kpop artists are not making the money they deserve. We will see how money actually flows throughout a typical Kpop label. So how much money do Kpop Idols make? You might be surprised. 

The first Kpop Boy Group was Seo Taiji and Boys back in 1992. They brought a different style to Korean music by incorporating foreign musical elements such as rap and hip-hop and really modernized South Korea’s contemporary music scene. Now there are over 100 Kpop boy groups that are looking to become the next big breakout Kpop group. The talk around ranking the best Kpop boy groups of all time is of course opinion-based. However, SeoulSpace took into account, sales, tours, ability, awards won, longevity, and most of all talent. These Kpop Boy Groups are the best of the best. They are already cemented as Kpop legends have already amassed millions of fans around the world. 

Super Junior is one of the greatest Kpop Boy Groups of all time. They first made their debut back in 2005 under SM Entertainment. Super Junior as well as Big Bang really help put Kpop on the global map. The group had 13 members at its peak and their biggest hit by far was in 2009 with their hit Sorry, Sorry. While the list is just our best guess based on their activity outside of Kpop as well as their popularity. Do you think you know the richest super junior members? Try to make a guess before reading further! 

All Kpop concerts and tours have been canceled due to COVID-19. This means Kpop fans will not get to see their favorite Kpop groups live for quite some time. This includes fan "meet and greet" events. Fans can now only support their favorite groups via online or streaming channels. We are sure Kpop concerts and tours will come back and will be stronger than ever before. Once Kpop moves over to the virtual tour, millions of fans from around the world will be putting on their VR headsets to see their favorite groups perform. Times are changing and the Kpop industry will change as well.  For now, let us look back at some of the biggest Kpop tours of all time. 

Similar to BTS, the base salary per year for BLACKPINK is estimated to be $8 million a year. Therefore, the group as a whole makes at least $32 million per year. There is no question that BLACKPINK is the biggest/hottest Kpop girl group around. They constantly break records on YouTube, Spotify, and have some of the biggest followers on Instagram. Therefore, they should be making so much more money than they are now. However, a vast majority of the money goes to YG Entertainment and it is not fully known what the split is between the members and the entertainment company. So who is the richest member of BLACKPINK? Based on our research these are the best estimates we can find. We will continue to update the article often to make sure to check back. 

How wealthy are the members of BTS? The BTS Net Worth figures very difficult to find, however, we can make our best estimates based on their salary, endorsement deals, and other projects. One thing we know for sure is that each BTS member has a base salary of $8 million a year. Also, each BTS member has 68,000 shares of Big Hit Entertainment stock which went public in October of 2020. Those stocks are valued at an additional $8 million for each member. So it is safe to assume that each member has a base net worth of $16 million.

Thanks to the global success of BTS and BLACKPINK, Kpop is better than ever before. It is now a $5 billion industry with over 100 million fans around the world. Now Kpop stars are under the spotlight more than ever. Therefore, many Kpop entertainment companies spend millions of dollars a year making sure their artists have the right public image. The Kpop industry has a controversial history with many artists having complained about being under "slave contracts" and some even having committed suicide. Scandals in Kpop are controlled very well by Kpop Entertainment companies, however, some scandals are just too big to bury. Below is a list of the biggest scandals in Kpop History. Some involve corruption, drug use, bullying, or sexual violence.