Three top K-Pop idols openly shared stories from their heyday, revealing the inter-group tensions and harsh working conditions they faced.
On July 17th, a video featuring Super Junior‘s Leeteuk and Heechul was released on the YouTube channel ZIP DAESUNG. In the video, Leeteuk and Heechul appeared alongside BIGBANG‘s Daesung, reminiscing about the era of second-generation idols.
Leeteuk recalled the atmosphere of the music industry back then, saying, “Back then, the power of the companies was really strong,” going on to explain, “Effectively, it was a duopoly between SM and YG.” He added, “There was intense power struggle,” describing how, “During promotions, all agencies except SM were seen as competitors.”
Daesung agreed, saying, “Back then, that kind of mindset was instilled,” empathizing with how fierce the competition between agencies was compared to now.
The tense standoff over the music show ending stages was a prime example. Heechul explained, “When we were busy, we just wanted to do the opening and go home quickly, but the companies insisted we wait around to go on for the ending stage,” detailing, “BIGBANG and Super Junior were both waiting to go on the last stage.”
However, Heechul said he couldn’t endure this situation. He revealed, “I wanted to go home early, but both groups kept telling each other not to go up,” sharing, “I got angry and just went home,” surprising Daesung. Leeteuk laughed and said, “He really went home,” eliciting laughter.
Heechul added, “As I was going home, I thought, ‘This is really unbearable,’” criticizing, “We were all singers, but the companies kept pushing us to fight each other.” Daesung also commented, “That’s right. The singers themselves didn’t care much; it was the companies that created this rivalry.”
They also mentioned the variety shows that were mandatory stepping stones to appear on music shows. Leeteuk said, “It’s not like this now, but back then, you had to appear on certain shows to get on music programs,” with Daesung agreeing, “You had to be on flagship variety shows to perform on music shows.” The shows they referenced included Open Concert, Star Golden Bell, Challenge 1000 Songs, and Law of the Jungle.
They also talked about how they couldn’t take breaks even when injured. Kim Heechul shared, “Even while on crutches, if someone said, ‘Heechul must not like our broadcasting station,’ I had to run over,” then added, “Looking at younger idols now, they rest when they’re sick. That’s probably the right way.”
Leeteuk joked, “If it were now, I wouldn’t have shown up today either,” sharing, “I was in a car accident yesterday after driving 700 kilometers,” bringing laughter. Hearing this, Kim Heechul humorously summarized, “The hallmark of second-generation idols was that there was no time to rest.“