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How Long Do Kpop Idols Promote?

Jason Park
Published by: Jason Park
Last updated:

There’s no extract time, but generally speaking, it’s around 3 to 4 years with multiple comebacks.

Being an idol is extremely hard and difficult, as you might know. Many people ask how long the average promotion time is for idols. Some think it’s a month while others think it’s a couple of years.

As you can see, it can be very frustrating for the idols and agencies if there’s no sunshine at the end of the tunnel. So, if you see a very underrated group, make sure to promote and share their music to maximize their chance of getting a breakthrough.

At What Age Do Kpop Idols Retire?

At What Age Do Kpop Idols Retire

Idols normally retire around the age of 30. This is because they start to have more difficulty dancing and singing at the same time. This isn’t for everyone, but the majority of idols that are retiring are around the age of 30.

There are many groups that are still performing at an older age, but that’s also doesn’t happen often. The groups that do perform are the ones that only have a comeback once a year and don’t have as many shows as the other ones.

Retiring is always a problem as a Kpop idol because there isn’t much to look forward to. Being an idol takes extremely long to only find out you’ll be promoting around 10 years. In those 10 years, you need to earn a lot of money to sustain your life once the fame is over.

This is why many idols go into the acting industry or do TV shows. That’s where the idols can at least be relevant and generate some extra income. Other idols that are smart with their money have invested into many other assets.

If you’re interested in reading more about it, click here.

How Much Do Idols Earn During Their Career?

How Much Do Idols Earn During Their Career

According to billboard, idols earned around $43,000 a year in 2013. Kpop has grown throughout the years and gotten more popular, so we can safely say that the average idol earns around $60,000 a year. They promote around 10 years on average, which adds up to $600,000 during their career.

This number is a rough estimate. Idols can earn way more depending on their popularity, while other idols earn less. There are many factors that you have to take into consideration because there’s also a huge difference between groups with an established fan base and a rookie group.

Another thing is where you debut, from which company. The big three will most certainly boost your popularity more than smaller agencies.

The older generation groups like Big Bang, Super Junior, and EXO are insanely popular. Those groups have earned way more during their career than the other Kpop groups. Kpop groups also sell merch, albums, and many more things.

How Often Do Kpop Idols Comeback?

Idols make a comeback on average 2 times a year. Some Kpop idols come back every 3 months while others only once a year. This highly depends on when the company wants it because a company has many Kpop groups and needs to distribute it evenly.

They often don’t want two groups to come back at once because of the prizes that may be won. Music shows play a huge role in if the Kpop idols are popular or not because you can see how many fans have attended the shows.

However, it’s not that only music shows are important. There are many other factors that you have to take into consideration. You often see many fans complain about how Kpop idols should have more comebacks, and it’s known that the company sees that.

However, they still decide if the idols are allowed to make a comeback. That’s why you always should keep supporting them no matter what they’re going through.

How Do Their Trainings Look Like?

Why Is Kpop So Popular

Training is different in every company but to give you an idea it’s a very packed schedule. The training starts right after school and can go up to midnight. It consists of three main activities, singing, dancing and studying.

Most trainees are still very young and have to study right before or after their training. They often don’t have time to do fun things and only see their family once a week, especially for idols that are from overseas only see their family once every month or two.

As you can see, this is very hard to do, so that’s why we always respect idols and never bash them. They are still kids and often don’t know better.

If you want to read more about the Kpop idol schedule, you can check it out here.

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve come to the end of this article, I hope you’ve found the information you were looking for. As you might know now, idols promote on average 10 years and retire at 30. This isn’t exactly for every idol, but the majority of idols do.

Keep in mind that idols come back once every 3 months and sometimes once a year, depending on the company. Idols also do solo’s, but that’s only after their group activities are done. Many popular groups promote way longer.

However, the majority of idols don’t promote for longer than 10 years. The reason is that the popularity dies off. They aren’t as well known as before, and this has an effect on their sales, revenue, and salary.

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    About The Author

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    Jason Park

    Jason has been living in Seoul for over 4 years, and during that time, he has experienced many of the city's hidden stores. He loves to write about his experiences and share them with others. Jason has been quoted and referenced by different major media companies like Mashed, Distractify, ThePrint and TastingTable. In his free time, he likes to watch Korean dramas and learn more about Korean culture.

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